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Environment

Climate chaos accelerated in 2024 as we hit 1.5°C for the first time

2024 was another year of record-breaking heat and extreme weather, including devastating floods, storms and wildfires across the globe

By James Dinneen

11 December 2024

A man makes his way at a hill as African dust from the desert of Sahara covers the city of Athens, Greece, April 23, 2024. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC2FC7ATEP85

Saharan dust storms like this one in Athens, Greece (above), are becoming more common

Reuters/Louisa Gouliamaki

It won’t be confirmed until January, but it is now almost certain that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record. Even more significantly, the global average temperature is set to show that the planet has warmed by more than 1.5°C since the 19th century – the limit countries agreed to pursue under the Paris Agreement.

But average temperatures are just one way of assessing the rapid changes taking place in the planet’s climate in response to our greenhouse gas emissions. From…

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