World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released its latest report indicating that extreme weather events are now taking place worldwide as the new normal. WMO’s State of the Climate report for this year revealed global rising of sea levels, while for the first time, the 20-year temperature average from 2002 is about to exceed pre-industrial levels.
WMO released the report earlier than usual in order to coincide with the beginning of the COP26, a UN climate conference scheduled to take place in in Glasgow on Nov. 01 and 02.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres commented that their analysis of the WMO report shows clearly that the planet is evidently transforming right in front of us. They have noted that communities and ecosystems from all parts of the world are getting destroyed, right from the mountain peaks all the way down to ocean depths.
Understanding the Implications of the WMO State of the Climate Report
WMO’s State of the Climate Report presents a brief summary of climate indicators such as ocean conditions, harsh weather events, sea level rises, and temperatures. According to the report, the planet is impelled into the unknown as the temperatures and sea levels rise, whilst increasing their impact worldwide.
According to WMO’s Professor Petteri Taalas, there is an increasing amount of scientific evidence that some of the extreme events carry the consequences of anthropogenic climate change. Professor Taalas listed down some of the extreme events that have occurred worldwide during 2021:
- It rained rather than snowed at the peak of Greenland’s ice sheets;
- In a span of several hours, months worth of rainfall downpoured in an area of China;
- Temperatures reached almost 50°C in certain parts of USA and in Canada;
- During one of the many heat waves in the south-western part of California, Death Valley, California reached 54.5°C.
- Another consecutive year of drought in South America has caused reduction in the flow of river basins that in turn affected energy production, agriculture, and transport;
In their study, the rise in global sea levels is another worrisome occurrence as they are rising quickly more than ever. According to Professor Jonathan Bomber, while it was previously measured that sea levels went up by 2.1mm annually from 1993 to 2002, the rise of sea levels increased twofold from 2013 to present by with 4.4mm. Mainly as results of rapid ice loss from ice sheets and glaciers.