According to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is an 80 percent chance that the world will experience at least one year of record-breaking temperatures in the next five years. This means that the risk of droughts, floods, and wildfires will increase.
For the first time, data has shown a small but significant chance that by 2030, there will be a year when the average temperature will be 2°C higher than pre-industrial levels.
The report says that the past ten years have been the hottest on record. The continued burning of oil, gas, coal, and trees is threatening human health, economies, and nature.
The report is based on short-term weather data and long-term climate projections. It says that the five-year average temperature between 2025 and 2029 has a 70 percent chance of exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This brings the world closer to breaching the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement, although that goal is calculated as a 20-year average.
