Experts say 2023, 2024 and 2025 the three hottest years in 176 years of records, with 1.5C Paris agreement target now ‘virtually impossible’
A triple-whammy of hottest years ever recorded threatens “irreversible damage”, the UN has warned as the world’s nations prepare to meet at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil.
This year is on course to be the second or third hottest ever, in records that stretch back 176 years, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said. It means 2023, 2024 and 2025 will be the three hottest on record, demonstrating that the world is now deep into the climate crisis.
The past 11 years, back to 2015, will also be the 11 warmest years on record.
The WMO said limiting global heating to the Paris agreement target of 1.5C above preindustrial levels was now virtually impossible, echoing the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, and the UN Environment Programme (Unep), who have both said in the past week that the target was now unachievable.
