The Earth is warming faster than scientists previously thought.
Our planet is gaining heat at an increasing rate, and these rates are much higher than expected. This is stated in a new report of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), published at the beginning of the next UN conference on climate change COP31 in Antalya.
The WMO reports that the imbalance between the energy coming from the sun and the energy leaving the earth has reached its highest level on record. This means that the planet retains more and more energy that was previously lost to space. "This imbalance and accumulation of heat will lead to an increase in extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and tropical cyclones," meteorologists explain.
2026 is expected to be the fourth warmest year in a row. In addition, 2026 is expected to be the 10th consecutive year with record high ocean temperatures, the report said.
"We have entered a new era of climatic extremism. The climate records continue to be updated, the human losses are increasing, and those who are less responsible for what is happening suffer first and the most," the Guardian newspaper quotes UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.