Heat waves, droughts, floods and devastating storms marked a critical year that highlighted the effects of 1.3°C of global warming.
The year 2024 witnessed an unprecedented intensification of extreme weather events. From deadly heat waves to devastating floods and historic droughts, the impact of climate change has reached new heights.
According to the annual report When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather in 2024 According to the World Weather Attribution organization, these phenomena have been responsible for the death of at least 3,700 people and the displacement of millions around the world, with profound social, economic and environmental consequences.
Impact of extreme events in 2024
Heat waves and dangerous days
Analysis by Climate Central revealed that climate change added an average of 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024.
These extreme temperatures mainly affected small island states and developing countries, considered to be on the front line of the battle against climate change.
In Mali, for example, temperatures approaching 50°C caused an alarming increase in hospital deaths during April.
Devastating floods
Rains intensified by climate change generated unprecedented flooding in several regions. In Sudan, torrential rains overwhelmed river defenses, displacing thousands.
Similar events occurred in southern Brazil and Nepal, where record rainfall flooded cities and rural areas, causing hundreds of deaths. According to the report, 15 of the 16 flood events studied were directly related to a warmer, wetter climate.
Droughts and loss of biodiversity
The Amazon faced a historic drought, exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon, but mainly fueled by global warming.
This phenomenon not only devastated local communities, but also endangered the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink. The Amazon Rainforest and Pantanal Wetland regions, for their part, suffered one of the most destructive fire seasons of the last decade.
Most destructive storms
The report highlighted that warmer seas and moisture-laden atmospheres intensified storms such as Hurricane Helene and Typhoon Gaemi.
These phenomena reached higher intensity winds and produced extreme rains. Studies attribute an increase in the strength of Atlantic hurricanes and typhoons in the Pacific to the effects of climate change, with devastating implications for regions such as the Philippines.
Global responses and lessons for the future
Energy transition
Despite international agreements such as COP28 to reduce the use of fossil fuels, new oil and gas fields continued to be opened in 2024.
The burning of these fuels remains the main cause of global warming. A rapid transition to renewable energy is essential to limit future climate disasters.
Early warning systems
The 2024 disasters highlighted the urgent need to improve early warning systems. These systems, if implemented properly, could have significantly reduced deaths in events such as floods in Sudan or heat waves in Asia.
Financing for developing countries
Consecutive events such as typhoons in the Philippines and droughts followed by floods in East Africa are undoing development gains in the most vulnerable countries. Securing financing for climate adaptations is crucial to protect these nations and avoid protracted humanitarian crises.
2024 has been a painful reminder that climate change is no longer a future risk, but a present reality. With every fraction of a degree that global temperature rises, extreme events will become more frequent and devastating.
The report highlights the need for immediate actions: from the energy transition to more effective warning systems. As the world prepares for 2025, this year’s lessons must serve as a catalyst for urgent and sustainable change.
Link | When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather in 2024
Source: geeksroom.com
