A five-year forecast released on May 28 by the World Meteorological Organization and the UK's Met Office predicts a very high chance of another record-breaking hot year in the near future. Moreover, the study reports a 70% chance that the next five years as a whole will see a temperature increase of more than 1.5°C (34.7°F), a milestone established by the 2015 Paris Agreement. This likely means major and irreversible changes to the current ecosystem will occur.
These figures are not abstract; an increase in temperature means more deaths. Indeed, studies have shown how hotter weather is linked to stronger hurricanes, more significant precipitation, harsher droughts, and more devastating fires.
And climate change is not just a future prediction: 2024 was the warmest year on record. According to the World Meteorological Organization, climate change is to blame for the high temperatures that have a huge effect on humankind. The elderly die in greater numbers, natural disasters like wildfires kill hundreds and destroy homes, and food sources are wiped out by the heat. Half of all children living in 50 countries across Europe and Central Asia face frequent heat waves—twice the global average of one in four children.
To find out more about the biggest heat waves, read up on the hottest days in history in this gallery.