This year’s average global temperature is expected to rival 2024’s record-breaking heat, Canadian officials said Wednesday, underlining humanity’s narrowing window to hit an international target intended to help avert some of climate change’s most serious effects.
“If you look at the scientific literature, the window is closing very rapidly,” said Bill Merryfield, a climate scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
It’s expected to be 1.45 C warmer this year than it was in the late 19th century — and it’s virtually certain to be hotter than any year before 2023, the federal scientists said.
The forecast comes just days after 2024 was declared the warmest calendar year on record. The World Meteorological Organization said it beat out the previous record, in 2023, and surpassed the benchmark of 1.5 C warmer than pre-industrial temperatures for the first time.
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Countries have agreed to try to keep the increase in temperature below the 1.5 C mark and …