WMO Report on the State of Global Climate - Part I

Ahead of World Meteorological Day on 23rd March 2017, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) issued its annual statement on the State of Global Climate. The Report said that the year 2016 made history, with a record global temperature, exceptionally low sea ice, and unabated sea level rise and ocean heat. It added that extreme weather and climate conditions have continued into 2017.

The main messages of the Report were:

·      The year 2016 was the warmest on record – a remarkable 1.1°C above the pre-industrial period, which is 0.06 °C above the previous record set in 2015. This increase in global temperature is consistent with other changes occurring in the climate system.

·      Globally averaged sea surface temperatures were also the warmest on record, global sea levels continued to rise, and Arctic sea-ice extent was well below average for most of the year.

·      With levels of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere consistently breaking new records, the influence of human activities on the climate system has become more and more evident. The increased power of computing tools and the availability of long term climate data have made it possible today, through attribution studies, to demonstrate clearly the existence of links between man-made climate change and many cases of high impact extreme events in particular heatwaves.

·      The powerful 2015/2016 El Niño event boosted warming in 2016, on top of long-term climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

·      Global sea levels rose very strongly during the El Niño event, with the early 2016 values reaching new record highs.  Global sea ice extent dropped more than 4 million sq km below average in November, an unprecedented anomaly for that month.

·      The very warm ocean temperatures contributed to significant coral bleaching and mortality was reported in many tropical waters, with important impacts on marine food chains, ecosystems and fisheries.

·      Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached the symbolic benchmark of 400 parts per millions in 2015 – the latest year for which WMO global figures are available – and will not fall below that level for many generations to come because of the long-lasting nature of CO2.

·      Noteworthy extreme events in 2016 included severe droughts that brought food insecurity to millions in southern and eastern Africa and Central America. Hurricane Matthew caused widespread suffering in Haiti as the first category 4 storm to make landfall since 1963, and inflicted significant economic losses in the United States of America, while heavy rains and floods affected eastern and southern Asia.

While releasing the Report, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas made the following points:

·      “The entry into force of the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 4 November 2016 represents a historic landmark. It is vital that its implementation becomes a reality and that the Agreement guides the global community in addressing climate change by curbing greenhouse gases, fostering climate resilience and mainstreaming climate adaptation into national development policies.”

·      “Continued investment in climate research and observations is vital if our scientific knowledge is to keep pace with the rapid rate of climate change.”