Humanity is struggling to cope with climate change and our ability to adapt is being outpaced by a rapidly warming world, according to a new report which reveals 2010 – 2019 has been the hottest decade on record.
A statement from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released today said the 2010s has ‘almost certainly’ been the hottest since records began back at the start of the 19th century.
On the back of the shocking report, the WMO warns that greenhouse gases and soaring temperatures are the root cause behind escalating rates of sea level rise, melting ice, ‘once in a century’ heatwaves and floods.
The report said more than 10 million people were internally displaced in the first half of 2019 – seven million directly due to extreme weather events such as wildfires, hurricanes and floods.
Greenhouse gases have continued to increase and reached record highs in 2019, helping make this year one of the hottest on record. Ongoing computer models it will likely be the second or third hottest year ever, behind the freakishly warm year of 2016
On the back of the shocking report, the WMO warns that soaring temperatures are the root cause behind escalating rates of sea level rise, melting ice, ‘once in a century’ heatwaves and floods. Pictured: floodwaters following heavy rains in Doncaster
Temperatures this year have topped pre-industrial levels by 1.1°C, putting 2019 on track to be second or third hottest year on record, according to scientific models.
2016 is the only year predicted to exceed 2019 in average temperature when compared to pre-industrial levels — the yardstick upon which most global warming metrics rely — due to a strong El Nino that year.
The report has been released at this year’s UN climate change conference in Madrid, where it was also revealed each decade since the 1980s has been warmer than the last.
Data for the report was collated from various sources, including UN bodies and three major global temperature datasets, including from the Met Office Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit.
Oceans, which absorb 90 per cent of the excess heat produced by greenhouse gases, are now at their highest recorded temperatures.
The world’s seas are now a quarter more acidic than 150 years ago, threatening vital marine ecosystems upon which billions of people rely for food and jobs.
In October, the global mean sea level reached its highest on record, fuelled by the 329 billion tonnes of ice lost from the Greenland ice sheet in 12 months.
‘Once again in 2019 weather and climate related risks hit hard,’ said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
‘Heatwaves and floods which used to be ‘once in a century’ events are becoming more regular occurrences.’
At just 1°C hotter than pre-industrial times, 2019 has already seen deadly heatwaves in Europe, Australia and Japan, superstorms devastate southeast Africa, and wildfires rage out of control in Australia and California.
2019 has already seen deadly heatwaves in Europe, Australia and Japan, superstorms devastate southeast Africa, and wildfires rage out of control in Australia and California (pictured)
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas: ‘If we do not take urgent climate action now, then we are heading for a temperature increase of more than 3C by the end of the century, with ever more harmful impacts on human well-being.
‘On a day-to-day basis, the impacts of climate change play out through extreme and ‘abnormal’ weather.
And he warned: ‘One of the main impacts of climate change is more erratic rainfall patterns.
‘This poses a threat to crop yields and, combined with population increase, will mean considerable food security challenges for vulnerable countries in the future.’
The latest round of UN climate negotiations, known as ‘Cop25’, takes place as many nations are under pressure to slash greenhouse gas emissions.
The report has been released at this year’s U.N. climate change conference in Madrid, where it was also revealed each decade since the 1980s has been warmer than the last and urgent action is needed to cut emissions
Discovery that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere have reached new record levels in 2019 are only likely to increase these calls.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last year outlined how vital it was for mankind to aim for a safer cap of 1.5°C, as outlined by the landmark Parid Agreement.
The UN said last week in its annual ’emissions gap’ assessment that the world needed to cut carbon emissions by 7.6 per cent each year, every year, until 2030 to hit 1.5°C.
Colin Morice, of the Met Office Hadley Centre, said: ‘Our global temperature figures are in agreement with other centres around the world that 2019 is set to join each of the years from 2015 as the five warmest years on record.
‘Each decade from the 1980s has been warmer than the previous decade. 2019 will conclude the warmest decade in records that stretch back to the mid-19th century.’
Professor Tim Osborn, from UEA’s Climatic Research Unit, said: ‘The five warmest years for average global surface temperature since records began in 1850 have all occurred in the last five years; by contrast the five coldest years all occurred before 1912.
‘This is climate change and not a coincidence.’