This year has witnessed unprecedented heat levels attributed to climate change, accompanied by extreme weather events, including hurricanes and prolonged droughts lasting for weeks.
This year is projected to set a new record for high temperatures, with recent studies indicating that individuals globally faced an extra 41 days of perilous heat attributed to climate change.
According to researchers from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group at Imperial College and Climate Central, the study’s findings indicate that society is experiencing a perilous new era.
In a comprehensive review, we examine the climate events of 2024 that had a profound impact,t on the lives of billions, spanning from Brazil to Indonesia.
The past year witnessed unprecedented increases in temperature records, which shattered numerous times on land and in the ocean.
In April, a significant heatwave affected numerous countries, stretching from Lebanon in the west to Cambodia in the east, raising concerns over dehydration and heat stroke among the populations.
Julie Arrighi, the director of programmes at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, emphasized that the effects are not distributed evenly across populations.
“According to her, young individuals and seniors, especially those with pre-existing health issues, are particularly vulnerable as they are physiologically less equipped to handle extreme heat.”
According to her, individuals in conflict zones experience heightened challenges due to their housing conditions, such as residing in temporary shelters that can exacerbate heat issues or face disruptions in water supply systems.
Recent research indicates that populations can adapt to rising temperatures over time. However, scientists from WWA and Climate Central project that in 2024, the global population will face an alarming increase of 41 additional days of extreme heat compared to a scenario without climate change.
Dr Friederike Otto, the lead of the World Weather Attribution (WWA) initiative and a Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Imperial College London, emphasized the unprecedented clarity and severity of the impacts caused by fossil fuel-induced warming in 2024. The current era is marked by peril, as extreme weather patterns inflict continuous hardship on communities worldwide.
A regional heatwave in the Amazon region has been exacerbated by the natural climate phenomenon known as El Niño. However, researchers from the WWA and Climate Central emphasize that climate change continues to be the primary driving force behind these extreme conditions.
This supports the fact that rainfall has been significantly decreasing across some areas of South America.Colombian officials have announced a staggering 90% reduction in the Amazon River’s water levels, a development that is significantly impacting the power supply, crop yields, and wildfires.
According to Unicef, the closure of schools in Brazil and Colombia has impacted nearly half a million children, primarily due to a shortage of drinking water.
The Amazon River serves as a crucial artery for the rainforest that shares its name, offering sustenance to countless species and playing a significant role in global initiatives aimed at combating climate change.
“We fear that climate change may push the forest into an irreversibly drier state, resulting in reduced moisture flow and carbon sink, along with a loss of biodiversity,” stated Dr Regina Rodrigues, a professor of Physical Oceanography and Climate at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil.
“These critical processes are essential not only at local and regional levels but also on a global scale to sustain life as we know it,” she stated.
In stark contrast, certain regions grapple with insufficient rainfall while others are inundated with excessive precipitation.
In an unprecedented weather event, the Philippines faced a staggering six typhoons within a mere 30-day span during October and November, following a relentless six months of storm activity. Due to its proximity to warm ocean waters, the country stands out as one of the most susceptible to tropical storms.
This season’s storms have resulted in landslides and floods that have claimed the lives of over 1,200 individuals throughout Southeast Asia.
At present, there is a lack of evidence indicating that climate change contributes to a rise in the frequency of typhoons, hurricanes, or cyclones—terms that refer to the same meteorological events but vary by region. However, studies indicate that climate change may amplify these storms’ intensity.
WWA scientists have assessed the season and determined that the record ocean temperatures recorded in 2024 were “conducive” to the formation of such storms, with climate change playing a role in enhancing those temperatures.
A Woodwell Climate Research Centre associate scientist, Dr Zach Zobel, supported the WWA approach. However, he noted, “This season didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know was coming in a 1.3-1.5C warmer world.” Scientists have warned about the increasing frequency of these extreme events for years, if not decades,” he stated.
This year, even the wealthiest countries faced significant challenges in safeguarding themselves against extreme weather events. In a devastating turn of events, the United States faced two consecutive hurricanes: Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. These natural disasters resulted in over 260 fatalities and inflicted approximately $115 billion (£92 billion) in damages, as reported by research from Christian Aid.
Experts had forecast an “extraordinary” season due to the heightened ocean temperatures in the Atlantic, which are a catalyst for hurricanes.
Hurricane Beryl made history on July 2 as the Atlantic’s earliest recorded category-five hurricane. However, a noticeable lull followed in the season until Hurricane Helene emerged.
Dr Otto told the BBC that large storms usually extract heat from the ocean, temporarily inhibiting new hurricanes’ formation. However, he noted that qualitative evidence indicates that “the entire upper ocean was extremely hot, so this effect did not occur.”
She stated that the WWA plans to conduct additional analysis on this matter in the future.
Recent flooding in Sudan and Nigeria during August and September highlighted the impact of extreme weather, revealing how inadequate infrastructure can worsen such natural disasters.
In July, heavy rains triggered widespread flooding that resulted in multiple dam failures, claiming the lives of dozens and displacing thousands from their residences.
A recent report from WWA and Climate Central indicates that heavy rainfall episodes have increasingly become standard due to human-induced warming, with projections suggesting they will happen on average every three to ten years.
Julie Arrighi, representing the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, stated, “Our studies continue to show the need to enhance preparedness for extreme weather to reduce loss of life and damages.”Current preparations for life in a world experiencing 1.3-1.5°C warming are inadequate.
