Geneva: The United Nations' World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in collaboration with the UK Met Office, has warned that global temperatures are expected to remain at "record or near-record levels" between 2026 and 2030, with the planet likely to exceed the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold above pre-industrial levels during at least one of those years.
According to Qatar News Agency, the WMO's annual climate update projects that average global near-surface temperatures during the five-year period are expected to range between 1.3 degrees Celsius and 1.9 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.
The report also highlighted accelerated warming in the Arctic, where winter temperatures over the next five years are expected to rise by approximately 2.8 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average, significantly outpacing the global average increase.
Melissa Seabrook, a researcher at the UK Met Office, said the findings provide clear evidence that the Earth's climate is continuing to warm and that global average temperatures are steadily increasing.
The WMO further noted that there is a high probability that at least one year between 2026 and 2030 will surpass 2024 as the hottest year ever recorded. However, scientists emphasized that temporarily exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold does not yet mean the Paris Agreement target has officially been breached, as the agreement refers to long-term average warming over several decades.