On Wednesday, the World Meteorological Organization reports that this year is the world's hottest temperature recorded. Experts warn that it will be hotter next year (with an average increase of 6℃) pinpointing to the weather pattern of El Niño.
With the global climate summit to commence next week in Paris, WMO director-general Michel Jarraud suggests creating steps to contain the rise within 2℃ amid the growing industry. "But the more we wait for action, the more difficult it will be," he said.
"You have scenarios assuming very strong decisions, very quick and sharp reduction of greenhouse gases, and you have other scenarios with business as usual, where you end up with predictions of additional warming of 5, 6 degrees, maybe even more. That will very much depend on the decisions (in Paris)."
Over the pre-industrial time, the worldwide surface temperature this year has passed the mark of what the agency called "the symbolic and significant milestone" of 1℃. "This is due to a combination of a strong El Niño and human-induced global warming," the WMO said in a statement.
In addition, Jarraud took note that the El Niño phenomenon only accounts for 16 to 20 percent of the averages, and despite of El Niño or La Niña, these temperatures were continuously rising in the five-year window with eight out of 10 since 2005.
The years between 2011 and 2015 have been recorded the warmest with temperatures rising about 0.57℃ with years 1961 to 1990 as the baseline. "This is all bad news for the planet," Jarraud said.
"I would call it certain," Deke Arndt, NOAA's chief climate monitor, said on Tuesday. "Something game-changing massive would have to happen for it not to be a record."
Furthermore, current long-term warming trends also ground human activity as the "dominant cause," WMO said. According to a separate study by Climate Central, greenhouse gas emissions as well as gases that contain heat like coal and oil are responsible for the big chunk of this year's temp record.
