China logs hottest year on record in 2024: weather agency

Jan 2, 2025 - 10:38
"The top four warmest years ever were the past four years," says China Meteorological Administration
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1. "The top four warmest years ever were the past four years," says China Meteorological Administration

China's weather agency reported that 2024 was the country's warmest year on record, amid a global surge in extreme weather events linked to climate change. 

As the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases, China plays a major role in driving global warming. However, Beijing has committed to peaking its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero emissions by 2060.

The China Meteorological Administration revealed that the national average temperature for 2024 was 10.92°C (51.66°F), which is 1.03°C higher than the long-term average. This marks the warmest year since full records began in 1961. "The top four warmest years on record have occurred in the past four years, and all of the top ten warmest years since 1961 have taken place in the 21st century," it noted.

Additionally, China experienced its hottest month in recorded history in July, along with the hottest August and the warmest autumn on record.

The United Nations echoed these findings in its year-end statement, noting that 2024 is expected to be the warmest year globally.

Global warming, primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is not limited to rising temperatures but also leads to increased heat in the atmosphere and oceans. Warmer air can hold more water vapor, and warmer oceans lead to greater evaporation, resulting in more intense downpours and storms.

These changes have wide-ranging, deadly, and costly effects, including property damage and crop destruction.

In China, floods led to the deaths of dozens and the evacuation of thousands. In May, a highway in southern China collapsed due to heavy rains, killing 48 people. The southern city of Guangzhou set a new record for the longest summer, with temperatures exceeding 22°C (71.6°F) for 240 days, surpassing the previous record of 234 days set in 1994.

The summer heat and drought affected regions such as Sichuan, Chongqing, and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. 

On a global scale, 2024 saw deadly floods in Spain and Kenya, violent storms in the United States and the Philippines, and severe drought and wildfires across South America. Natural disasters led to $310 billion in economic losses in 2024, according to insurance company Swiss Re.

The 2015 Paris climate accord aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with a goal of 1.5°C. The World Meteorological Organization reported in November that the mean surface air temperature from January to September in 2024 was 1.54°C higher than the pre-industrial average measured between 1850 and 1900.