2023 was the hottest year on record. We’re on track to beat that last year, but this past year has caused more problems than just the soaring price of thermometers.
World Weather Attribution (WWA) explains how the past year’s record human-induced warming of 34.34 degrees Fahrenheit has contributed to “unrelenting heat waves, droughts, wildfires, storms, and floods.” released an annual “extreme weather” report showing what caused the WWA estimates that climate change will be responsible for at least 3,700 deaths and 26 weather events in 2024, leading to “millions of displacements”.
The report records a total of 219 events from 2024 that meet the “trigger criteria” for identifying impactful weather events. Although many of the phenomena were influenced by a natural climate pattern known as El Niño (which is exacerbated by the effects of climate change), the WWA study found that “climate change plays a larger role than El Niño in driving these phenomena. It turned out to be a historic drought in the Amazon.
Climate change has led to an average of 41 more dangerously hot days and record rain and flooding around the world. A study of 16 floods found that all but one were caused by a warming atmosphere that held more moisture and increased rainfall. These weather conditions can also lead to larger and more dangerous hurricanes and typhoons, such as the Category 4 Hurricane Helen that hit the United States in September. The North Carolina Office of Budget and Management estimates Helen caused $53.8 billion in damages in the state alone.
Two of the world’s most important ecosystems will also be “hard hit by climate change by 2024,” according to the WWA report. The Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal wetland, the world’s largest tropical wetland, suffered severe drought and wildfires last year, resulting in “huge biodiversity loss”.
Both regions are important for maintaining the strength of Earth’s ecosystems, climate, and economy. Plants in the Amazon remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, releasing water into the atmosphere that helps control the climate and circulate ocean currents. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Pantanal wetlands are home to tens of thousands of species of wildlife, provide much-needed flood control for the region, and provide world-class facilities such as cattle ranching and soybean production. It is said that it is generating economic activity.
WWA’s report sets out several important resolutions for 2025 to combat the growing effects of climate change. The report calls for a “faster transition” away from the use of fossil fuels, improved early warning systems for extreme weather events, and greater focus on reporting heat-related deaths, including those hardest hit by the effects of climate change. Seeking funding for developing countries and regions.
