Has the world broken heat records in recent years?

According to the World Meteorological Organization and NOAA, every year from 2015 to 2024 ranked among the 10 warmest years on record, making the past decade the hottest in the last roughly 175 years. In fact, WMO confirmed in January that 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded, beating the record set just one year prior.

Global temperatures in 2024 were about 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the 20th-century average. For 14 straight months, through July 2024, the world set new monthly heat records. Both land and ocean temperatures hit all-time highs, and ocean waters stored more heat than ever before.

Scientists say this ongoing rise is tied to greenhouse gas emissions, which trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere. The world is now dangerously close to passing the 1.5 degree Celsius global average temperature limit set in the Paris Agreement, a key target for avoiding the worst climate impacts.