The WMO's annual report highlights continued progress on climate change

Geneva, 21 April 2023 (WMO) – According to the annual report of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in 2022 climate change continued to advance from the tops of the mountains to the depths of the oceans. Droughts, floods and heat waves have affected communities on every continent and cost billions of dollars. Antarctic sea ice has dropped to its lowest level on record and the melting of some European glaciers has been literally off the charts. The State of the Global Climate 2022 report shows planetary-scale changes in the land, ocean and atmosphere caused by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. In terms of global temperature, the years 2015-2022 were the eight warmest on record despite the cooling effect of the La Niña event over the past three years. Melting glaciers and rising sea levels, which reached record levels again in 2022, will continue for thousands of years. “As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and the climate continues to change, populations around the world continue to be severely affected by extreme weather and climate events. For example, in 2022, persistent drought in East Africa, record rainfall in Pakistan and record heat waves in China and Europe affected tens of millions of people, caused food insecurity, fueled mass migration and cost billions of dollars in loss and damage," said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas.