Sunday, February 16th, 2025

A disaster like Wayanad is a glimpse of India’s future! This warning from WMO on weather scares

New Delhi: The threat of serious impacts of climate change on the country is increasing rapidly. In view of this, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary General Celeste Solo has said that India will have to improve its meteorological infrastructure and adopt a strong early warning system for various threats. At the United Nations Climate Conference (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, he/she said that India will have to do this to avoid damage caused by the effects of climate change. Solo said this in the context of the ‘State of the Climate 2024’ report of the World Meteorological Organization. The report raises concerns that the year 2024 is poised to be the hottest year ever.

2024 is going to be the hottest year!

The global average temperature from January to September this year has been 1.54 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, this increase remains below 1.5°C despite long-term measures that have been in place for decades. Solow said that WMO works closely with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD Director General Mrityunjay Mohapatra is one of the three Vice-Presidents of the WMO.

he/she said, ‘India is very proactive and is making good investments to enhance weather related services. But, being such a big country, there is a lot of scope for improvement in India. Especially it will take time to bring weather services into the value chain. Active engagement between the Meteorological Department and other ministries like agriculture, health and disaster management is important.

The record-breaking rainfall and floods we have seen in different parts of the world this year, rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, deadly heat, persistent drought and massive fires are unfortunately our new reality and a foreshadowing of our future.

Celeste Salo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

need to stay fit

Solow said WMO will release a more detailed report in March, focusing on region-by-region impacts caused by sea level rise. When asked about incidents like the Wayanad landslide, the WMO Chief said that this is where the Multi Hazard Warning System will come in handy. “There are a lot of things happening at the same time,” Solow said. We need to analyze and respond in a holistic manner. We need weather services and, at the same time, other agencies to work together and understand the risks.’ More than 400 people were killed in the Wayanad landslide. he/she said, ‘India is also facing the threat of sea level rise. With its long coastline and dense population near the shores, we are in danger.

The pace of climate change in a single generation is unprecedented due to ever-increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. 2015-2024 will be the hottest decade on record.

wmo report

increasing effects of greenhouse gases

The WMO report emphasizes that global sea levels are projected to rise at a rate of 4.77 mm per year from 2014-2023, more than double the rate between 1993 and 2002. It will increase even faster in 2023 due to El Nino effect. Preliminary data for 2024 suggests it has returned to levels consistent with the increasing trend from 2014 to 2022 as El Niño subsides. The pace of climate change in a single generation is unprecedented due to ever-increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. 2015-2024 will be the hottest decade on record. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: ‘Climate-induced devastation is impacting health, exacerbating inequalities, undermining sustainable development and undermining peace. The most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Glimpses of the future are visible in disasters

However, the WMO chief said, ‘Large variations are being observed in global temperature anomalies recorded on daily, monthly and annual timescales, partly due to natural phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña. They should not be considered equivalent to the long-term temperature target set in the Paris Agreement, which refers to global temperature levels maintained as an average over decades.’

he/she said, ‘…it is important to recognize that every fraction of a degree of temperature matters. ‘Whether below or above the 1.5°C warming level, each additional increase in global warming increases climate extremes, impacts and risks.’ he/she further said, ‘The record-breaking rainfall and floods we have seen in different parts of the world this year, rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones, deadly heat, persistent drought and severe fires are unfortunately our new reality and our future. ‘It is a foreshadowing.’

Extreme weather events in India in 2024

➤ India experienced extreme weather events on 93% of the days in the first nine months of the year.
➤ These weather events killed 3,238 people and affected 32 lakh hectares of crop area.
➤ 35 out of 36 Indian states and union territories experienced extreme weather events.
➤ Punjab and Haryana were worst affected as they experienced extreme weather events for 34 days.
➤ They were followed by Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan which experienced extreme weather events for 27 and 26 days respectively.

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