The world is unusually hot
According to Reuters on December 9, citing temperature data from January to November from the EU Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2024 is definitely the hottest year on record. This is also the first year the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial period from 1850 – 1900.
A flock of penguins stands on icebergs in Antarctica
Ms. Friederike Otto, lecturer at Imperial College London (UK) commented: “Although 2025 may be a little cooler than 2024, if the La Nina phenomenon occurs, this does not mean that the temperatures will be safe or normal. We will still experience high temperatures, causing dangerous heat waves, droughts, wildfires and tropical cyclones.”
Surface temperatures across Antarctica’s major ice sheets rose an average of 10 degrees Celsius above normal in July. On some days, temperatures in the southern hemisphere exceeded 28 degrees Celsius.
According to The Guardianthis heat wave is the second heat wave to hit the region in the past few years. The most recent episode was in March 2022 when the temperature spiked to 39 degrees Celsius and caused part of the old ice to collapse. Scientists point out that the reason Antarctic temperatures increase in July is due to the El Nino phenomenon.
Mr. Zeke Hausfather of the Berkeley Earth organization (USA), said the entire Antarctica has warmed along with the world in the past 50 years. The world has experienced 12 record warm months, with temperatures continuously increasing over 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times, increasing the risk of natural disasters. According to Mr. Hausfather, there is a 95% chance that 2024 will surpass 2023 to become the hottest year in history.
Super storm Yagi swept Asia
The storm that caused the heaviest damage in Asia and ranked third in the world this year was Yagi. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed and millions of people were affected by this super storm. Total damage is estimated at up to 14 billion USD. Super Typhoon Yagi hit the Philippines, Hainan Island and the southern tip of Guangdong province, China on September 7.
Philippine officials on September 2 announced that floods and landslides due to the impact of Typhoon Yagi killed at least 11 people. On September 8, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) determined that super typhoon Yagi was the strongest autumn storm to hit China since 1949. Chinese officials recorded 4 deaths and 95 injuries after the storm. V
Vietnam was also heavily affected by Typhoon Yagi. This storm maintained the super storm level for a long time and was the strongest storm in 30 years in the East Sea and in the past 70 years in mainland Vietnam; The storm stays on land for 12 hours. In particular, the storm circulation caused heavy rain throughout the North and Thanh Hoa (26 provinces and cities), of which 83/84 stations measured rainfall 4-6 times higher than the average of many years in the first 10 days of September. (There are places where the rain is over 700 mm).
Due to heavy rains, the Northern region experienced heavy floods, especially large and widespread (most rivers exceeded alert level 3), of which historic floods appeared on 7 river routes (Thao river, Day river, Cau river, Ninh Co River, Kinh Mon River, Gua River, Tra Ly River). In Hanoi, the highest water level of the Red River in the last 20 years was also recorded. The direct impact of the storm and the circulation of Typhoon Yagi left 344 people dead or missing (318 dead, 26 missing), 1,976 people injured; 281,966 houses were damaged and had their roofs blown off; 112,034 houses were flooded; 284,472 hectares of rice were flooded and damaged; 61,114 hectares of crops were flooded; 39,188 hectares of fruit trees were damaged; 189,982 hectares of forest were damaged…
Yagi also caused heavy rain, causing floods to begin hitting Myanmar from September 9. The World Food Program (WFP) said this is the worst flood in modern Myanmar history. The country recorded more than 400 deaths due to the impact of the storm.
Heavy snowfall “once in a hundred years” in Korea
Heavy snow fell on the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace in central Seoul on November 27
According to Yonhap News Agency, in November, the capital Seoul (South Korea) witnessed the “first in a hundred years” heavy snowfall since statistics were available in 1907. The above weather event caused more than 140 deaths. The flight was canceled and at least 5 people died due to the cold weather.
Of these, four people died when snow-covered structures collapsed and one person had a traffic accident when a bus slid off the road. Authorities also said about 1,285 schools, including kindergartens, were closed in Gyeonggi province. Some 142 flights were canceled and 76 ferry routes were suspended, while media reported that trains were also delayed.
Unusually heavy snowfall in November in South Korea is believed to be due to warmer-than-normal sea temperatures in the western Korean peninsula then encountering cold air currents.
Super storms continuously land in Taiwan
According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau (CWA), super typhoon Kong-rey made landfall in Taitung district in Taiwan on October 31 with maximum winds of 184 km/h. This is considered one of the largest storms to hit this island in decades.
The scene after Typhoon Kong-rey made landfall in Taiwan
The storm injured 73 people, nearly 100,000 households lost power and nearly 10,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas. Taiwan’s National Defense Agency has placed 36,000 soldiers on standby to support rescue efforts.
Kong-rey is the third storm to hit Taiwan since July. Previously, storm Gaemi claimed the lives of at least 10 people, injured hundreds and caused widespread flooding in Kaohsiung, the Central Highlands region. southern Taiwan in August. Next was Typhoon Krathon in early October 2024, killing at least 4 people and injuring hundreds, causing landslides, floods and record strong winds, according to AFP.
Earth’s most active super volcano erupts
Kilaue, one of the most active volcanoes on earth, erupted with streams of red lava on the Big Island of Hawaii.Kilaue volcano began erupting on December 23.
Bright red lava erupting from Kilaue volcano
The volcano alert has been downgraded from “warning” to “watch” and the aviation color code has been changed from red to orange. The field research team also continued to record sounds similar to jet engines in the crater area.
According to CNN, the most immediate threat is volcanic dust that can spread to residential areas downwind. This smog contains sulfur dioxide and can worsen symptoms for people with asthma, other respiratory or cardiovascular conditions. Kilauea also erupted in June and September 2024.
Flash floods in Afghanistan
According to updated information from the World Food Program’s (FAO) Office in Afghanistan and local officials on May 11, more than 330 people died when rainstorms and flash floods hit major areas of the provinces. Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan and Ghor of Afghanistan.
FAO said in the northern province of Baghlan alone, more than 300 people were killed and more than 1,000 houses were destroyed. Afghanistan is vulnerable to climate change because its winters are relatively dry, making it harder for the soil to absorb rainfall.
Storm Milton and Helene discussed the US
Cars flooded in Hillsborough County, Florida as Hurricane Milton made landfall
On October 9, Storm Milton began making landfall in the state of Florida (USA) with winds of 193 km/h, equivalent to level 3 on the 5-level storm scale. This is the 5th storm in the US and the 3rd storm to hit Florida in 2024. Along the way, Storm Milton brought tornadoes, floods and widespread heavy rain, while also downing a series of trees. Electric poles as well as blew away many infrastructure. The passing storm left more than 3 million customers without power and about 125 homes were destroyed.
Milton hit the US just two weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall, devastating Florida and other southeastern states, killing at least 235 people. Helene is the second deadliest storm in the US, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which left nearly 1,400 people dead.
Huge economic loss
The increase in extreme weather events has caused major economic losses. It is estimated that natural disasters will cause economic losses of up to 310 billion USD worldwide in 2024. According to AFP, citing the assessment of Swiss Re reinsurance group (Switzerland), total insured losses increased by 17%. compared to 2023. Thus, 2024 is the fifth consecutive year that insured losses exceed 100 billion USD.
In response to the above developments, at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations framework convention on climate change (COP29) in November 2024 in Azerbaijan, major polluting countries pledged to mobilize at least at least 300 billion USD each year from now until 2035 to combat climate change. However, experts say this amount of money is too little to address challenges related to extreme climate.
