The World Meteorological Organisation, WMO, on Monday issued a stark warning that 2027 could become the hottest year in recorded history, with a powerful El Niño expected to push global temperatures to unprecedented levels. The alert was delivered at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP31, currently underway in Turkey.
WMO Secretary General Celeste Saulo described El Niño as a 'risk multiplier,' noting that heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and rainstorms are intensifying faster than historical baselines.
A new WMO report on the state of the global climate reveals that every one of the last twelve years has been the warmest since records began, with the last four years ranking as the four warmest on record.
According to the report, the average surface temperature from January to September 2026 was approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels worldwide. The margin of uncertainty in this measurement is 0.13 degrees, meaning the world may have already surpassed the critical 1.5-degree threshold — a milestone last crossed in 2024.
The WMO further highlighted that extreme weather events, driven by the climate crisis, have had devastating consequences around the world throughout 2026. Preliminary estimates indicate that heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires across Europe resulted in more than 30,000 excess deaths this year alone.
In India, extreme heat in April affected an estimated 146.5 million people, according to the WMO. Additionally, more than 1,300 people lost their lives when a glacier collapse and flash flood struck the Himalayan region in August.
As world leaders continue discussions at COP31 in Turkey, the WMO's findings underscore the urgent need for accelerated climate action to prevent even higher temperatures and worsening extreme weather events in the coming year.