2024 witnessed 41 extra days of dangerous heat due to climate change: Report

CHENNAI: A year-in-review released by World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central has revealed that human-caused climate change added an average of 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024. In addition, the report warned that countries need to prepare for augmenting climate risks in 2025.

The report highlighted that a much faster transition from fossil fuels is necessary to avoid a future of relentless heat waves, drought, wildfires, storms, and floods.

Climate change intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution, resulting in the death of at least 3,700 people and the displacement of millions. Climate change had a stronger influence than El Nino on many extreme weather events, the report added.

“Many extreme events, at the start of 2024, were influenced by El Nino. However, most world weather attribution analyses revealed climate change played a main role, compared to El Nino, in driving these events including the historic drought in the Amazon forest. This aligns with the broader trend that as the planet continues to warm, the effects of climate change are increasingly dominating than other natural factors that influence the weather,” it said.

The report also proposed four resolutions for the year 2025 to tackle climate change and protect people from extreme weather events. The listed solutions are the faster shift from fossil fuels, advancements in early warning, real-time reporting of heat deaths, and international finance to help developing countries become more resilient.

“Globally, human-triggered warming resulted in 41 extra days of dangerous heat in 2024, according to the scientists. These 41 days represent the top 10 per cent of warmest temperatures from 1991 to 2020 for locations across the world,” the report stated.