Since the 1980s, each decade has been hotter than the previous one. The UN has warned that emissions need to fall by 7.6% a year to save the planet.
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The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the past decade was the hottest on record, with 2019 confirmed as the second-hottest year in history.
The hottest year ever recorded was 2016.
"Since the 1980s each decade has been warmer than the previous one," the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a statement, adding that "this trend is expected to continue."
The WMO's findings are based on leading data sets from around the world.
"The year 2020 has started out where 2019 left off — with high-impact weather and climate-related events," said WMO chief Petteri Taalas. "Unfortunately, we expect to see much extreme weather throughout 2020 and the coming decades, fueled by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."
Taalas pointed specifically to the bushfires ravaging Australia, which have killed at least 28 people, displaced tens of thousands, and killed up to 1 billion animals.
Oceans hit the hardest
The UN has said that man-made emissions need to decrease by 7.6% a year until 2030 in order to limit the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), a pledge that many nations signed off on in the Paris climate agreement.
Modern weather record-keeping began in 1850. According to Taalas, the average global temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius since then. Since most of the world's heat is stored in its oceans, marine life and ecosystems have been the hardest hit, evidenced by mass die-offs of fish and widespread coral bleaching.
"On the current path of carbon dioxide emissions, we are heading towards a temperature increase of three to five degrees Celsius by the end of the century," Taalas said.
es/stb (AFP, Reuters)
7 things you'd never imagine climate change could impact
The climate is changing and it's causing some odd things to happen — like changing the sex of a baby animal. DW presents seven of the most unexpected ways climate change will impact life on Earth.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Watch out: Jellyfish boom!
Although there is a combination of factors behind the numerous jellyfish that reach vacation havens like the Mediterranean coast, climate change is also partially to blame. Warmer sea temperatures are opening up new areas where jellyfish can reproduce, and increasing the availability of their favorite food: plankton.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Perfect wood is vanishing
Prized for their superior sound quality, an original Stradivarius can sell for millions of dollars. Yet, extreme weather events, such as unusually violent storms, are killing millions of trees, putting at risk the famous wood in the Paneveggio forest, in northern Italy. Replanting trees won't help much in the short term. A spruce has to be at least 150 years old before it can become a violin.
Image: Angelo van Schaik
Forget about sleeping
On very hot nights, people sleep worse, especially in big cities. By 2050 European metropolises may experience temperatures around 3.5 degrees Celsius warmer in summer. It not only affects sleep, but also mood, productivity and mental health. The only way to escape is to move to smaller towns and settlements, where the nights are cooler since there are fewer buildings and more greenery.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/R.K. Singh
Sorry for your nose
Spring is starting earlier in the year due to global warmer temperatures — bad news for allergy sufferers. With a longer frost-free season, plants have more time to grow, bloom and produce pollen. Therefore, pollen will freely roam around much earlier, which will make the suffering season longer and the annual pollen load greater. Will it be the century of masks for air pollution and allergies?
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K.-J. Hildenbrand
Bacteria and mosquitoes
Heat not only makes us sweat; it also affects our health. By the end of this century three-quarters of the world's population is expected to be exposed to dangerous and deadly heat waves. Rising temperatures mean an increase in diarrheal diseases, as it's easier for bacteria to multiply in warm food and water. Mosquito numbers will also likely go up, along with the spread of diseases like malaria.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Schulze
Houses are crumbling
Soil in the region around the North Pole is increasingly thawing in the summer months, with dramatic local and global consequences. Warmer temperatures cause floors to become unstable and houses and roads to crack, and leads to many more insects. Moreover, if permafrost — frozen soil — melts, it will release CO2 and methane gases that could further exacerbate global warming. It's a vicious circle.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Antonov
Male or female? Ask climate change
Temperature can influence the sex of several species. For sea turtles, the heat of the sand where the eggs are incubated determines the sex of the newborn. Low temperatures benefit male turtles, while females develop better in warmer areas. Researchers have found that over 99% of turtle hatchlings in northern Australia are already female, making it difficult for the species to survive.