Canadian climate officials say this year's average global temperature is set to rival 2024's record-breaking heat, and is virtually guaranteed to be hotter than any year on record before 2023.
Scientists with Environment and Climate Change Canada say the average global temperature is forecast to be about 1.45 C warmer than it was in the late 19th century.
That mark is expected to be reached even with the cooling effect of a weak La Niña, a natural climate pattern tied to shifting waters in the Pacific Ocean.
The forecast comes days after the World Meteorological Organization confirmed 2024 as the warmest year on record, at least temporarily surpassing the 1.5-degree warming limit suggested by scientists.
They say keeping temperatures below that mark and well below 2 C over the long term would help avert some of the most catastrophic effects of climate change, driven by planet-warming fossil-fuel emissions.
A single year's average temperature is not enough for scientists to consider that threshold broken, but they say there is a narrowing window to drastically reduce emissions and preserve the goal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2025.
Jordan Omstead, The Canadian Press
