State of the Climate in Asia 2024 Report

GS3 – Environment

Context:

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its “State of the Climate in Asia 2024” report, offering crucial insights into key climate trends and challenges in the region.

About the Report

• Prepared by: WMO, with inputs from:
  • National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs)
  • UN agencies
• Objective:
  To track key climate indicators in Asia and support policymaking on resilience, adaptation, and risk reduction.
• Comparative Baselines:
  • 1991–2020: Regional trend reference
  • 1850–1900: Pre-industrial benchmark (for global warming comparisons)
• Key Data Sources:
  • ERA5: ECMWF’s reanalysis dataset (hourly global climate data since 1940)
  • NOAA: US agency providing weather and ocean data
  • GISTEMP: NASA’s global temperature dataset (Goddard Institute)

Key Findings of the 2024 Report

Record-Breaking Temperatures

• 2024: Warmest year on record, surpassing 2023’s 1.45°C rise (above pre-industrial levels)
• Warming rate (1991–2024): Double that of the 1961–1990 period
• All years from 2015 to 2024 featured in the top 10 warmest years

Ocean and Sea Surface Changes

• Sea Surface Temperature in Asia:
  • Rose by 0.22–0.26°C per decade — nearly twice the global average
• Marine Heatwaves (2024):
  • Affected 15 million km² of Asian seas
  • Worst-hit regions: Northern Indian Ocean, Yellow Sea, East China Sea

Glacier Retreat

• 23 of 24 monitored glaciers in the Himalayas and Tian Shan showed mass loss
• Reasons: Low winter snowfall + extreme summer heat

Changing Precipitation and Extreme Events

• Short, intense rainfall events are becoming more common
• Droughts are expanding geographically
• Cyclones:
  • Increasing in frequency
  • Becoming off-season, stronger, and more destructive

Underlying Drivers of Warming in Asia

• Rapid urbanisation (heat-island effect)
• Deforestation reducing carbon sinks
• Large landmass (absorbs more solar radiation)
• Heavy coal dependency for energy
• Accelerated snowmelt due to warming