Manama: The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), a United Nations agency, has warned that the likelihood of global warming exceeding the 1.5 C threshold between 2025 and 2029 has increased to 70%, in a serious indication of accelerating climate change.
According to Bahrain News Agency, WMO projections prepared by the United Kingdom's Met Office using global climate models indicate that the average annual temperature over the next five years is expected to exceed pre-industrial levels by between 1.2 C and 1.9 C.
Ko Barrett, Deputy Secretary General of the WMO, stated that the past decade recorded the hottest years on record, cautioning that the trend is continuing, with increasing negative impacts on economies and ecosystems.
The warning comes amid extreme weather in various parts of the world. China recorded temperatures above 40 C this week. Temperatures in the United Arab Emirates reached nearly 52 C. In Pakistan, severe storms followed a harsh heatwave.