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The State of the Global Climate in 2018
Article

The State of the Global Climate in 2018

WMO Provisional Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2018

WMO, 2018

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Wildfires in Sweden. Snow in the Moroccan desert. These are just two of many extreme weather events the World Meteorological Organization documents in its 2018 report “The State of the Global Climate,” released ahead of this year’s climate summit in Katowice, Poland. This report meticulously documents how steadily rising global temperatures negatively affect local ecosystems, and disrupt the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. The data serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of curbing global warming before it is too late.

Summary

The year 2018 is set to be the fourth warmest on record. Average global temperatures between January and October 2018 were almost one degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Meanwhile, greenhouse gas concentrations, which reached record levels in 2017, are projected to rise further. These trends have manifested themselves in a measurable increase in sea levels, ocean heat content and acidification. Furthermore, sea-ice covers in both the Arctic and Antarctica ranked well below average. 

Extreme climate events had a negative effect on food production around ...

About the Author

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization and a specialized agency of the United Nations.