State of the Global Climate 2020: WMO

  • The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its annual State of the Global Climate for 2020.
  • The pandemic-related economic slowdown failed to put a brake on climate change drivers and accelerating impacts.
GLOBAL STATS
  • 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record, despite a cooling La Niña event.
  • The global average temperature was about 1.2° Celsius above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level.
  • The other two warmest years are 2016 and 2019.
  • The six years since 2015 have been the warmest on record.
  • 2011-2020 was the warmest decade on record.
  • Emission of major greenhouse gases increased in 2019 and 2020 and will be higher in 2021.
  • In 2020, the Arctic sea-ice extent came down to second lowest on record.
  • The 2020 minimum extent was 3.74 million square kilometre, marking only the second time (after 2012) on record that it shrank to less than 4 million sq km.
INDIA
  • India experienced one of its wettest monsoons since 1994, with a seasonal surplus of 9% that led to severe floods and landslides.
  • Cyclone Amphan, which hit Kolkata in May 2020, has been named as the costliest tropical cyclone for the North Indian Ocean region that brought about an estimated loss of USD 14 billion.
WMO
  • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Head: Petteri Taalas.
  • Founded: 23 March 1950.
  • Secretary general: Petteri Taalas.

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