According to Reuters on November 30, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on November 30 that global temperatures in 2023 will be about 1 above pre-industrial levels4 degrees Celsius, which will make the "deafening sound" of breaking the climate record even more harsh.
The World Meteorological Organization's interim State of the Global Climate report confirms that 2023 will be the warmest year on record, significantly surpassing the previous record-holding year of 2016, when global temperatures were about 1 above the pre-industrial average2 degrees Celsius.
According to the report, this situation has increased the urgency of the problems facing world leaders. They are working to address the phase-out of fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai on November 30.
The Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, Petri Taalas, said: "Greenhouse gas levels are at an all-time high. Global temperatures are at record highs. Sea level rise is also at an all-time high. Antarctic sea ice is at an all-time low. ”
However, the findings of the aforementioned report do not mean that the world is about to cross 1A long-term warming threshold of 5 degrees Celsius. According to scientists, under the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, 15 degrees Celsius is the upper limit to avoid catastrophic climate change. In this regard, the extent of global warming needs to be sustained for a longer period of time.
Permanently cross the warming 1What does the threshold of 5 degrees Celsius mean?Global warming reaches 1The year of 4 degrees Celsius already offers a terrifying preview.
This year, the winter maximum of Antarctic sea ice extent hit a record low, about 1 million square kilometres less than the previous low. The remaining amount of Swiss glaciers has decreased by about 10% in the past two years, the report said. Canada's wildfires have burned a record amount of forest land (about 5% of the country's forest land).
Climate change, exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels, combined with the emergence of natural El Niño weather patterns in the eastern Pacific, has led to record global temperatures this year.
Scientists say the situation could be even worse next year, as the impact of El Niño could peak this winter and push temperatures even higher in 2024.
Extreme precipitation events are on the rise.
A study published on November 27 in the bimonthly journal Climate Journal showed that heavy rain events that could lead to catastrophic flooding will be more frequent and intense than those due to global warming, according to the Argentine news agency Inter-Americas on November 27.
The study was conducted by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. Anders Lewellman, an expert at the institute, said in a statement that the analysis showed that the consequences "could be much more serious than we thought."
In his statement, Lewellman reportedly warned: "Extreme precipitation events will become more intense and frequent. Society must be prepared for this. ”
The study warns that the increase in extreme precipitation events will be most pronounced in tropical regions (such as Southeast Asia) and high latitudes (such as northern Canada), largely because warmer air may contain more water vapor.
Max Coates, lead author of the study, emphasized: "Our study shows that as global warming intensifies, the intensity and frequency of heavy rainfall increases exponentially. "The study concludes that it is the rise in temperature that has the greatest impact on these changes, rather than other factors such as wind.
"The good news is that this makes extreme precipitation a little easier in the future," Leverman said. The bad news is that if we continue to drive global warming by emitting greenhouse gases, it will get worse. ”
Hindering efforts to fight malaria.
The World Health Organization warned on November 30 that climate change is making the fight against malaria more difficult, and that the fight is already struggling to make up for losses during the coronavirus pandemic, according to AFP on November 30**.
On the occasion of the launch of WHO's World Malaria Report, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "A changing climate poses significant risks to progress in the fight against malaria, especially in vulnerable areas. ”
Changes in temperature, humidity and precipitation are affecting the behaviour and survival of mosquitoes carrying the disease, and extreme weather events such as heatwaves and floods are also contributing to an increase in the number of cases, according to the WHO.
In 2022, 2 were reported4.9 billion cases of malaria, 60There were 80,000 deaths, all above pre-pandemic levels.
"Now more than ever, a sustainable and resilient malaria response, as well as urgent action to slow the pace of global warming and reduce its impact," Tedros said. ”
According to the WHO, the ideal temperature for mosquitoes to breed and survive is between 20 and 27 degrees Celsius, and "a slight warming of cool areas without malaria could lead to new cases of malaria".
As a slight balancing factor, the intensifying drought could wipe out malaria cases in some of the current endemic areas, the report said.
But the WHO warns that "overall" climate change is hampering efforts to fight malaria. (Compiled by Shen Jian, Tian Ce, Lu Di).