2024 set to become hottest year on record, EU climate service reports

The Copernicus Climate Change Service announced that 2024 is "effectively certain" to be the hottest year on record, surpassing 2023. This year will also be the first to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Extreme weather events linked to climate change have caused significant damage worldwide, with losses totaling $310 billion in 2024. Developing countries are particularly affected and will require $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for climate assistance. Scientists attribute the unprecedented heat to a combination of factors, including the recent El Niño phenomenon. Ongoing research aims to better understand the causes of this record-breaking temperature rise.