Global temperatures are expected to remain close to record levels over the next five years, according to a joint report published by the World Meteorological Organization and the Met Office.
The report estimates that there is a high probability that the global average temperature will temporarily exceed the threshold of 1,5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2030, a threshold considered critical in the fight against climate change.
Scientists also warn that warming will be particularly pronounced in the Arctic, where winter temperatures are expected to rise at a rate more than three times higher than the global average.
According to the study, a powerful El Niño phenomenon could contribute to new heat records in the coming years, accentuating the effects of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Experts point out that these temperature increases are likely to lead to more extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, floods and an acceleration of the melting of glaciers and permafrost.
The authors of the report point out, however, that a temporary exceedance of the 1,5°C threshold does not automatically mean that the objective set by the Paris Agreement is definitively lost, but they warn that the window for sustainably limiting global warming continues to shrink.
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