WMO Report Warns of Two-Out-of-Three Chance of Reaching Global Temperature Threshold in Next Five Years

A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has revealed that there is a two-out-of-three chance that the world will temporarily reach the internationally accepted global temperature threshold for limiting the worst effects of climate change within the next five years.

The WMO report states that data and models show the planet is on track to have its hottest year ever for at least one of the next five years, and that the planet will likely surpass the major climate change threshold set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement. This agreement set 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) as a global guardrail in atmospheric warming, with countries pledging to try to prevent that.

The last global heat record was reached in 2016 during El Niño, a climate pattern that naturally occurs every few years when Pacific Ocean surface temperatures warm. Scientists expect that a temporary burst of heat from an El Nino will supercharge human-caused warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas to new heights and then slip back down a bit.

The WMO also warned that the deadly heat waves that have gripped nations in recent years are likely about to get much worse. The agency has urged countries to take action to reduce their emissions and to prepare for the impacts of climate change. It is hoped that by taking these steps, the world can avoid reaching the dangerous global temperature threshold.