On July 21, one of the hottest days of the year, as many as 5.3 billion people were exposed to extreme temperatures
Human-induced climate change added an average of 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems, stated a joint report released on Friday by a group of scientists associated with the World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central.
2024 is set to be the hottest year on record. It was also the first year with average global temperatures 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Heat records were broken on three consecutive days on July 21, 22 and 23. On July 21, one of the hottest days of the year, as many as 5.3 billion people were exposed to extreme temperatures, said the report.
The study highlighted how climate change is forcing millions to brave lethal heat for a longer period of time even as high emissions continue to warm the planet at an alarming rate. If the world does not rapidly transition away from fossil fuels, the world is likely to see more of such “dangerous heat days”, the scientists warned.
"The world is not cutting emissions and preparing for climate change quickly enough. The consequences are record-breaking extreme weather events that cause deaths, displacement and loss of livelihoods,” Ben Clarke, a researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said.
Small island and developing countries were the most impacted, with Nauru (173), Barbadosa (164), Saint Vincent (159), Federated States of Micronesia (157) and Grenada (154) reporting the highest number of extra risky heat days. In the South Asian region, Maldives lead the pack reporting a total of 136 extra risky heat days, followed by Sri Lanka (77) and Bhutan (56). With less than 20 additional risky heat days, India and Pakistan were among the least affected countries in the South Asian region in 2024.
A total of 219 events met WWA’s trigger criteria for extreme weather events. These included floods, storms, droughts, heatwaves, fires and cold spells. Scientists studied 29 of these events and concluded that 26 of them were intensified by climate change, killing at least 3,700 and displacing millions.
From cyclones to droughts to floods, climate change is said to have intensified extreme weather events in 2024. Climate change, for instance, made droughts 50 per cent more likely, with persistent heat being the main driver of increased risk, noted the report.
According to the scientists of the study, climate change had a larger impact in driving extreme weather events in 2024 than El Niño, including the severe drought in Amazon. El Niño is a natural climate pattern associated with warmer surface water in the Pacific Ocean. Strong El Niño events are associated with record-breaking global temperatures. While acknowledging El Niño’s role as a contributing factor, especially in the first half of the year, scientists allege that its influence was often overestimated.
Floods in Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, which killed at least 2000 people and displaced millions, was identified as the deadliest event of 2024. These regions’ vulnerability to such devastating floods would increase if warming reaches 2°C, a scenario that could materialise as early as the 2040s, stated the report.
“Africa continues to bear the brunt of climate change. It has contributed the least emissions but is experiencing the worst impacts of extreme weather,” said Joyce Kimutai, research associate at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London.
Scientists also said that climate change made wildfires during June about 40 per cent more intense. The Brazilian Pantanal wetland, in particular, experienced one of its worst wildfire seasons ever, with more than 3.5 million hectares burned. The region has been suffering from a drought for years, with river levels at historic lows and below-normal precipitation.
Scientists who have worked on the report unanimously agree on the urgency of a swift transition to renewable energy, coaxing the countries to take proactive measures to avoid the worst effects of climate change-induced extreme weather.
“In 2025, every country needs to step up efforts to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy and prepare for extreme weather,” said Friederike Otto, lead of WWA and senior lecturer in climate science at the Imperial College London.
Improved early warning systems and real-time reporting of heat-related deaths have been deemed crucial for countries bearing the brunt of extreme weather. The need to secure international finance to help developing countries with climate action has also been reiterated.