UN Warns of Record Global Heat Through 2030
Geneva-Global temperatures are expected to remain at or near historic highs through 2030, with a strong likelihood that a new annual heat record will be set before the end of the decade, the United Nations’ weather agency warned on Thursday.
The World Meteorological Organization said there is an 86 percent chance that at least one year between 2026 and 2030 will surpass 2024 as the warmest year ever recorded. The agency also projected a 75 percent probability that average global temperatures over the five-year period will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The warning comes as parts of Europe experience unusually early heatwaves, with temperature records broken in Britain and France during May.
Scientists linked the rising temperatures partly to the expected return of the El Nino climate pattern by late 2026, which historically boosts global warming. WMO climate expert Leon Hermanson said the phenomenon could make 2027 a potential record-breaking year.
The agency stressed that temporary breaches of the 1.5C threshold do not automatically mean the Paris climate target has permanently failed, as the agreement measures long-term warming trends over decades rather than individual years.
The report also warned of accelerated warming in the Arctic, where winter temperatures are forecast to rise at more than three times the global average. Wetter conditions are expected across northern Europe, the Sahel, Alaska and Siberia, while drought risks may intensify in the Amazon region.
