"‘Red Alert’: Last Year Was Hottest On Record By Clear Margin, Says UN Report"

"Records being broken for greenhouse gas pollution, surface temperatures and ocean heat"

"The world has never been closer to breaching the 1.5C (2.7F) global heating limit, even if only temporarily, the United Nations’ weather agency has warned.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Tuesday that 2023 was the hottest year on record by a clear margin. In a report on the climate, it found that records were “once again broken, and in some cases smashed” for key indicators such as greenhouse gas pollution, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat.

Andrea Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the WMO, said the organisation was now “sounding the red alert to the world”."

Ajit Niranjan reports for the Guardian March 19, 2024.