2024 was warmest year since 1901

Bhubaneswar: The year 2024 has been identified as the warmest year on record since 1901 signifying the impact of global climate change while ten out of the 15 warmest years were observed between 2010 and 2024, an eminent meteorologist has said.

The five warmest years, in descending order, were found to be 2024 (+0.65 degree C), 2016 (+0.54 degree C), 2009 (+0.40 degree C), 2010 (+0.39 degree C) and 2017 (+0.38 degree C), Dr. Akhil Srivastava of National Weather Forecasting Centre of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), said.

Heat wave, the impact of which has been felt more in recent years, has emerged as the second most devastating extreme weather event in terms of human death and losses, Dr. Srivastava said while speaking at the two-day international conclave on ‘Climate Change and Global Warming—Issues and Prospects’ which concluded at the SOA Deemed to be University here on Friday.

Dr. Srivastava said it was not just high temperature which was responsible for the gruesome effect of heat waves but several other meteorological parameters played a vital role in aggravating the impact.

A plethora of meteorological factors including maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, duration of heat wave and its intensity aggravated the impact of heat stress, he said.

Dr. Srivastava said heat wave numbers had increased by about 24 per cent between 2010 and 2019 as compared to 2000 and 2009 while the associated mortality rate had increased by about 27 per cent.

While the mortality rate caused by tropical cyclones had been reduced by 94 per cent in the past two decades, deaths caused due to heat wave had increased by more than 62 per cent, he said adding heat waves in India were expected to intensify in future causing increase in heat stress.