The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report titled “State of the Global Climate 2022” on Friday. It revealed that the global mean temperature in 2022 was 1.15 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, making it the fifth or sixth warmest year on record despite the La Nina conditions. The eight years from 2015 were the warmest ever. The report also stated that concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases touched record highs in 2021.
The report emphasized that keeping the global temperature rise below the 1.5 degrees limit is important to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The WMO said that the 2022 pre-monsoon period was exceptionally hot in India and Pakistan. Pakistan had its hottest March and April on record, with both months having national mean temperatures more than four degrees Celsius above the long-term average. In India, grain yields were reduced by extreme heat, and there were several forest fires, particularly in Uttarakhand.
The report said that the unusual heat in Europe last year contributed to the deaths of at least 15,000 people, more than any other single extreme climate event. India also reported significant flooding at various stages during the monsoon season, particularly in the northeast, in June. Around 700 people died due to floods and landslides, and another 900 from lightning strikes.
The report added that heavy monsoon rains caused severe flooding and landslides in Pakistan, leading to a spread of water-borne diseases, with the greatest impacts in the most vulnerable and food-insecure regions of the country’s southern and central parts. More than 1,700 people died, along with 9.36 lakh head of livestock. Large areas of croplands were affected, and rainfall-triggered flooding and landslides substantially disrupted transportation and building infrastructure.
The WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas said that “collaboration amongst UN agencies has proven to be very effective in addressing humanitarian impacts induced by extreme weather and climate events, especially in reducing associated mortality and economic losses.” He added that about 100 countries do not have adequate weather services in place, and achieving this ambitious task requires improvement of observation networks and investments in early warning, hydrological, and climate service capacities.
