World Meteorological Organisation

Global weather body predicts 60% chance of La Nia developing during Jul-Sep

The 2023/24 El Nio event, which drove record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather around the world, is predicted to transition to La Nia conditions later this year, according to a new update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The world experienced the warmest April ever and the eleventh consecutive month of record-high temperatures. Sea surface temperatures have been record-high for the past 13 months, according to the WMO. The WMO said this is happening due to the naturally occurring El Nio unusual warming of waters in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and the additional energy trapped in the atmosphere and ocean by greenhouse gases from human activities. Amid a prevailing but weakening El Nio, millions of people in South Asia, including India and Pakistan, endured brutal heat in April and May. The latest forecasts from the WMO Global Producing Centres of Long-Range Forecasts give equal chances (50 per cent) of either neutral conditions or a transition to

Asia world's most disaster-prone region in 2023, shows WMO report

Asia continued to bear the brunt of weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023, making it the world's most disaster-hit region, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization. Floods and storms led to the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, and the impact of heat waves intensified, said the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) State of the Climate in Asia - 2023 report. According to the report, sea-surface temperatures in the northwest Pacific Ocean hit record highs, and even the Arctic Ocean experienced a marine heat wave. "Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heat waves to floods and storms. Climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events, profoundly impacting societies, economies, and, most importantly, human lives and the environment that we live in," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. Citing

All climate change metrics crossed records in 2023, says WMO report

The global set of reference glaciers suffered the largest loss of ice on record (since 1950), driven by extreme melt in both western North America and Europe, according to preliminary data

'2023-24 El Nino among 5 strongest on record, heat to persist this year'

The 2023-24 El Nino has peaked as one of the five strongest on record and will continue to impact global climate in the coming months despite a weakening trend, the World Meteorological Organisation said on Tuesday. The UN agency also said above-normal temperatures are predicted over almost all land areas between March and May. The prevailing El Nino conditions fuelled record temperatures and extreme events the world over, with 2023 being the warmest on record. According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global mean temperature breached the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold for an entire year for the first time in January. A permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit, specified in the Paris Agreement, however, refers to long-term warming over many years. In its latest update, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said there is about a 60 per cent chance of El Nino persisting during March-May and an 80 per cent likelihood of neutral conditions ..

2023 set to be the warmest year on record, says WMO latest report

"2023 has shattered climate records, accompanied by extreme weather which has left a trail of devastation and despair," WMO said in a statement

Record-breaking rise in greenhouse gases threatens climate goals: WMO

The concentration of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere once again hit a new record last year and there appears to be no halt to this escalating trend, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The global averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), considered the most critical greenhouse gas, were a staggering 50 per cent above the pre-industrial era (1850-1900) in 2022 for the first time. These levels have continued to escalate in 2023, it said. The WMO's Greenhouse Gas Bulletin noted that although the growth rate in CO2 concentrations was slightly lower than the preceding year and the decade's average, this decline was likely due to short-term variations in the carbon cycle. The report highlighted that new emissions from industrial activities continued to rise. Methane concentrations also grew, and levels of nitrous oxide, the third main gas, saw the highest year-on-year increase on record from 2021 to 2022, according to the ...

EL Nino event to continue until Apr 2024, influencing weather patterns: WMO

The ongoing El Nio event is expected to last at least until April 2024, influencing weather patterns and contributing to a further spike in temperatures on land and over the ocean, according to a new update from the World Meteorological Organisation. The India Meteorological Department earlier this month said EL Nio conditions -- abnormal warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean -- are not likely to influence the southwest monsoon season next year. Amid intensifying El Nio conditions, India received "below-average" cumulative rainfall -- 820 mm compared to the long-period average of 868.6 mm -- during the southwest monsoon season this year. As of mid-October, sea surface temperatures and other atmospheric and oceanic indicators in the central-eastern tropical Pacific are consistent with El Nio, the warm phase of El Nio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The El Nio event developed rapidly during July-August and reached moderate strength by September, and is likely to peak as

August hottest month ever recorded with modern equipment, says WMO

August was about 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial averages

Temperatures seen surging as El Nino weather pattern returns: WMO

El Nino, a warming of water surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, is linked to extreme weather conditions from tropical cyclones to heavy rainfall to severe droughts

Multi hazard early warning centre based on WMO plane on the anvil: TN govt

As part of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness initiatives, networks including those for lightning and landslide detection and seismic observation would be established with real-time data acquisition platforms, the Tamil Nadu government said here on Friday. Unveiling its new TN State Disaster Management Policy-2023, the TN State Disaster Management Authority said the Chennai-based State Emergency Operation Centre would be upgraded into a state-of-the-art "Multi Hazard Early Warning Centre (MHEWC)" and relocated in a new green building. The MHEWC would be based on the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) framework. The new policy for disaster management was released by Chief Minister M K Stalin. The centre would engage experts in the fields of meteorology, climate science, atmospheric science, hydrological modelling, emergency analysis, data science, information and communications technology, remote sensing and GIS and Web GIS development. The policy document said th

El Nino expected to return, likely to spike global temperatures: WMO

A warming El Nino event may develop in the coming months , according to a new update from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The El Nino event may develop after three consecutive years of an unusually stubborn and protracted La Nina, which influenced temperature and rainfall patterns in different parts of the world, WMO said in a statement. However, while the return of El Nino is considered likely this will be proceeded by a period of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions, with 90 per cent probability, during March-May, the statement said. The likelihood of ENSO neutral conditions continuing beyond May decreases slightly but remains high, with 80 per cent likelihood in April-June and 60 per cent in May-July, based on the model predictions and assessment from experts involved in producing the Update, it said. The chances of El Nino developing, while low in the first half of the year, 15 per cent in April-June, gradually increases to 35 per cent in May-July

All at sea

The impact of warming oceans is a neglected threat

Global sea level rose by 4.5 mm per year during 2013-22 period: WMO

Global mean sea level rose by 4.5 mm per year during the period 2013-22 and human influence was very likely the main driver of these increases since at least 1971, the World Meteorological Department (WMO) said on Tuesday. Sea level rise threatens several low-lying small islands. It is a major threat for countries such as India, China, Netherlands and Bangladesh, some of which comprise large coastal populations. Several big cities on all continents are threatened such as Mumbai, Shanghai, Dhaka, Bangkok, Jakarta, Maputo, Lagos, Cairo, London, Copenhagen, New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Santiago. It is a major economic, social and humanitarian challenge, the WMO said in a report. Global mean sea level increased by 0.20 m between 1901 and 2018. The average rate of sea level rise was 1.3 mm per year between 1901 and 1971, 1.9 mm per year between 1971 and 2006, and 3.7 mm per year between 2006 and 2018, it said. Sea-level has risen faster since 1900 than over any preceding cent

Climate change woes are bad, getting worse: UN weather report

The report titled 'WMO Provisional State of the Global Climate 2022' released at the 27th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC on Sunday stated that the rate of sea level rise has doubled since 1993

8 warmest years on record witness upsurge in climate impacts: WMO

The past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, fueled by ever-rising greenhouse gas concentrations and accumulated heat

Mean temperatures, sea levels and carbon emissions at record high

Climate alert: Probability of mean temperatures crossing 1.5 degrees in five years has increased to 50 per cent: World Meteorological Organisation report

Aila, Amphan, Asani: Here's how different cyclones are named and why

Short and easy-to-pronounce names are helpful in rapidly and effectively disseminating detailed storm information between hundreds of scattered stations, coastal bases and ships at sea

2021 one of the seven warmest years on record: World Meteorological Org

Although average global temperatures were temporarily cooled by the 2020-2022 La Nina events, 2021 was still one of the seven warmest years on record

WMO reports record high temperature in Arctic region at 38 degrees

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has verified a new record high of 38 degrees Celsius within the Arctic, one of the fastest warming regions in the world

Global temperatures in 2020 among highest on record, says WMO report

WMO said the differences in average global tempe­ratures among the three warmest years, 2016, 2019 and 2020, were indisting­uishably small