BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS global leaders gather at various Conferences of the Parties (COP) to discuss climate strategies, the urgency surrounding global warming intensifies, with 2024 officially recorded as the hottest year on record.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in its latest assessment, confirmed this milestone based on data from six international datasets.
According to the WMO's statement, the “global average surface temperature was 1.55°C?(±?0.13°C) above the 1850–1900 average.” This marks the first calendar year where the global mean temperature has surpassed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, highlighting the rapidly worsening effects of climate change.
The past decade has witnessed a streak of record-breaking temperatures, with all ten years ranking in the Top Ten hottest years.
“Today’s assessment from the World Meteorological Organization proves once again – global heating is an undeniable reality,” stated UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
He added: “An individual year breaching the 1.5°C threshold does not mean our long-term goal is unattainable. It signals the need for even stronger action. The searing temperatures of 2024 demand groundbreaking climate initiatives in 2025. We still have a chance to avoid the worst of this climate catastrophe, but decisive action must happen now.”
Approximately 90% of the heat from global warming is absorbed by the oceans, making ocean heat content a key indicator of climate change. From 2023 to 2024, the global upper ocean (to a depth of 2000 meters) heat content rose by 16 zettajoules (10²¹ joules), equivalent to roughly 140 times the world’s total electricity generation in 2023, as reported by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics dataset.
Like many nations worldwide, St. Kitts and Nevis is grappling with the consequences of rising temperatures. Limited water supplies have prompted the government to seek alternative solutions, including desalination technology.
The agriculture sector is also feeling the effects, with crops and livestock facing challenges due to the extreme heat. In response, the Ministry of Agriculture has announced plans to repair shade houses and other structures to safeguard the nation’s food security amid the ongoing climate crisis.