UN weather agency warns of record ‘climate imbalance’

Anadolu, Philippine News Agency

(Pexels photo)

GENEVA – The Earth’s climate is now “more out of balance than at any time in observed history,” the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Monday, warning of long-term consequences driven by rising greenhouse gas concentrations.

According to WMO’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report, the period from 2015 to 2025 was the hottest 11-year period on record.

The year 2025 ranked as the second or third warmest year, at about 1.43 C above the 1850-1900 average.

Extreme weather events, including intense heat, heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones, caused widespread disruption and highlighted the vulnerability of interconnected economies and societies, the report said.

Oceans continued to warm and absorb carbon dioxide, taking in the equivalent of about 18 times the annual human energy use each year over the past two decades.

Arctic sea ice reached near-record lows, according to the report, while Antarctic sea ice was the third lowest on record, and glacier melt persisted.

“The State of the Global Climate is in a state of emergency. Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

“Humanity has just endured the eleven hottest years on record. When history repeats itself eleven times, it is no longer a coincidence. It is a call to act,” he added.