Record numbers of people were forced to flee their homes due to climate-related disasters in 2024, the United Nations reported on Wednesday, highlighting the urgent need for global early warning systems.
More than 800,000 people were displaced by extreme weather events last year – the highest yearly number since records began in 2008, according to the State of the Global Climate report released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
The report also confirmed 2024 as the hottest year on record, with global temperatures exceeding the 1.5C threshold for the first time.
"In response, WMO and the global community are intensifying efforts to strengthen early warning systems and climate services," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
The UN agency aims to ensure everyone in the world is covered by early warning systems by the end of 2027, but progress remains insufficient.
"We are making progress but need to go further and need to go faster. Only half of all countries worldwide have adequate early warning systems," Saulo said.
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Deadly storms, record heat
The WMO report documented 151 "unprecedented" extreme weather events in 2024, meaning they were worse than any previously recorded in their regions.
In Mozambique, around 100,000 people were displaced by Cyclone Chido, while devastating floods in Valencia, Spain, claimed 224 lives. Wildfires in Canada and the United States forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes.
Heatwaves in Japan left hundreds of thousands suffering from heatstroke, while temperatures soared to 49.9C in Carnarvon, Western Australia, 49.7C in the Iranian city of Tabas, and 48.5C during a nationwide heatwave in Mali.
The Philippines faced an unprecedented six typhoons in under a month, while Vietnam was hit by Super Typhoon Yagi, affecting 3.6 million people. Hurricane Helene became the strongest storm ever recorded to strike Florida's Big Bend region.
"The clear signs of human-induced climate change reached new heights in 2024," said Saulo. "Some of these consequences will be irreversible for hundreds, if not thousands, of years."
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Growing uncertainty
The report's release comes amid growing concerns about climate policy, particularly following the return of US President Donald Trump, a known climate sceptic.
His administration has already cut hundreds of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), raising concerns over the weakening of global climate monitoring efforts.
Trump's reappointment of Neil Jacobs as NOAA's head has sparked controversy. Jacobs was previously censured for misrepresenting a hurricane forecast under political pressure.
Despite political uncertainty, Omar Baddour, head of WMO's climate monitoring and policy services, stressed the need for continued international collaboration.
"We are working together with scientists worldwide, and we hope this will continue despite political differences," Baddour said.
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Indicators worsening
The report confirmed 2024 as the warmest year in the 175-year observational record, with global mean near-surface temperature reaching 1.55C above the 1850-1900 average – the first calendar year to exceed the 1.5C threshold outlined in the Paris climate accords.
For the first time, the 10 hottest years on record all occurred within the last decade, yet global carbon emissions continued to rise.
Oceanographer Karina von Schuckmann highlighted concerning "acceleration" in key global indicators during the report's presentation, including rapid ocean warming and rising sea levels.
"Glaciers continue to retreat, and Antarctic sea ice reached its second-lowest extent ever recorded," Saulo said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for urgent action, saying: "Our planet is issuing more distress signals – but this report shows that limiting long-term global temperature rise to 1.5C is still possible."
