Asia is Heating Twice as Fast as Global Average, Extreme Weather Events to Surge

The WMO's State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report reveals critical changes in key climate indicators across Asia.

Key findings of the World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report.

(Photo: The Quint)

Asia is warming at nearly twice the global average rate, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report. Experts warn that this rapid heating is expected to intensify extreme weather events and place significant strain on the region’s economies, ecosystems, and communities.

Big points from the study:

• In 2024, Asia’s average temperature was 1.04°C above the 1991-2020 norm, making it the warmest or the second warmest year on record depending on the dataset.

• Sea surface temperatures hit record highs in 2024, with Asia’s warming rate nearly double the global average.

• 23 out of 24 glaciers in the High-Mountain Asia region showed continued mass loss during 2023-2024.

• Reduced winter snowfall and extreme summer heat accelerated glacier loss in the central Himalayas and Tian Shan.

Why it matters: Such rapid heating of both land and oceans is fueling longer, more widespread heatwaves, and an increase in extreme weather events like unseasonal heavy rains, storms, cyclones, erratic rainfall, and droughts.

These events continue to wreak havoc across the region, costing lives and causing significant economic damage. Tropical cyclones and floods have left a trail of destruction, while droughts and erratic rainfall have severely impacted agriculture and livelihood.

The visible impact:

• In July 2024, extreme rainfall triggered major landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, with over 500 mm falling in 48 hours, resulting in more than 350 deaths.

• Central Asia experienced record floods, the worst in over 70 years, while the UAE recorded 259.5 mm of rain in just 24 hours.

• Intense heatwaves across India in 2024 caused over 450 deaths.

• Severe dust storms affected parts of Asia, with western Iraq and eastern Turkmenistan seeing the highest number of dust event days ever in 2024, linked to multiple years of drought.

• Sri Lanka faced heavy rainfall, strong winds, thunderstorms, floods, and landslides, resulting in 18 deaths and over 450,000 people affected.

• By September 2024, drought in China impacted 4.76 million people, damaged 335,200 hectares of crops, and caused losses of 2.89 billion yuan.

• Record rainfall in Nepal led to severe floods, killing over 246 people and causing damage exceeding Rs 1,285 crore.

Zoom out: These extreme weather events are unfolding in the context of a worsening global climate crisis. In 2024, the global average near-surface temperature hit a record high of approximately 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, exceeding the previous record set just a year earlier in 2023.

Each year from 2015 to 2024 ranks among the 10 warmest on record.

Concentrations of key greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide reached unprecedented levels in 2023 and continued rising through 2024, now far exceeding pre-industrial levels by 151 percent, 265 percent, and 125 percent, respectively.

Ocean warming has accelerated, with heat content in 2024 reaching the highest-ever recorded. This, combined with ice sheet melt, drove global sea levels up by 4.7 mm per year between 2015 and 2024, a new record rate.

The oceans continue to absorb about a quarter of human-caused CO2 emissions, leading to increased acidification and shifts in marine chemistry that threaten ocean ecosystems.

Reality check: The study highlights the significant impacts of climate change already being felt across Asia and warns that these effects are likely to worsen if urgent action is not taken.

“The State of the Climate in Asia report reveals critical changes in key climate indicators—such as rising surface temperatures, glacier loss, and sea-level rise—that will have profound consequences for the region’s societies, economies, and ecosystems. Extreme weather events are already causing unacceptable harm.”

Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, WMO

Yes, but timely action can make a real difference. The report cites a case from Nepal, where record-breaking floods in September 2024 caused at least 246 deaths and over Rs 1,285 crore in damages. Thanks to improved early warning systems and anticipatory measures, over 130,000 people received life-saving support in advance, showing how preparedness can save lives, reduce losses, and boost climate resilience.

The report further underscores that the rising frequency of landslides and floods not only endangers agriculture but also creates mounting challenges across various sectors. It highlights the need to promote sustainable farming practices and enhance irrigation systems to support rural livelihoods and help prevent a broader domino effect of climate-related impacts.