It was a year of heat – temperature records were repeatedly broken on land and in the sea.
In April, dozens of countries, from Lebanon in the west to Cambodia in the east, were hit by a prolonged heat wave, putting them at risk of dehydration and heat stroke.
But Julie Arrighi, director of climate programs at the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the impacts are not being felt equally.
“Young people and people over 65, especially those with pre-existing health conditions (are at risk) – they are physiologically less able to cope with extreme heat,” she said.
She said people in conflict situations were also disproportionately affected by housing situations, including living in temporary shelters that could increase heat, or disrupted water systems.
Studies have shown, external that the population can adapt to higher temperatures over time, but even with that in mind, WWA and Climate Central scientists estimate that in 2024 the world’s population will experience 41 extra days of dangerously hot weather – compared to a world without climate change.
Dr Friederike Otto, head of WWA and senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London, said: “The impact of fossil fuel-based warming has never been more evident and devastating than in 2024.
“We are living in a dangerous new era – extreme weather is causing unrelenting suffering.”
