Record global temperatures predicted

There is a 50:50 chance of the annual average global temperature temporarily reaching 1.5-degree Celsius above the pre-industrial level for at least one of the next five years – and the likelihood is increasing with time, according to a new climate update issued by the World Meteorological Organization. There is a 93 per cent likelihood of at least one year between 2022 and 2026 becoming the warmest on record and dislodging 2016 from the top ranking. The chance of the five-year average for 2022-2026 being higher than the last five years (2017-2021) is also 93 per cent.