More than 600 reported extreme weather events, including 148 classified as “unprecedented”, displaced 824,000 and killed 1,700 people in 2024, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
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Warmer temperatures are the main driver of more frequent and intense extreme weather events like tropical cyclones, floods, and droughts around the world, which in 2024 led to the highest number of new displacements recorded for the past 16 years, the UN weather agency has said.
A total of 605 extreme weather events occurred last year globally, according to data by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Some 824,500 were displaced and around 1,700 people were killed as a result, while 1.1 million people were reportedly injured.
Of these events, 148 were classified as “unprecedented” and 289 as “unusual.” An event can be rare or unusual in terms of magnitude, location, timing, or extent.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the most authoritative scientific body on the subject, human-induced greenhouse gas emissions have led to an increase in both the frequency and intensity of some weather and climate extremes since pre-industrial times. This is particularly true for temperature extremes.
The IPCC’s latest assessment report, published in 2022, also noted that climate and weather extremes are progressively causing more displacement worldwide. This is true especially in areas where climate risks intersect with pronounced vulnerability and limited adaptive capabilities. A recent report found that climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods are driving increasing displacement across the African continent, with the number of internally displaced people now six times higher than 15 years ago.
This pattern of human displacement is expected to rise alongside the escalation of intense rainfall, flooding, tropical cyclones, droughts, and the growing impact of rising sea levels. Scientists estimate that there could be 1.2 billion climate refugees by 2050.
While no continent was spared by extreme weather last year, Europe bore the most brunt with 188 events, mostly heatwaves, followed by rain spells and floods. As the world’s fastest-warming continent, heat-related mortality here has already increased by around 30% in the past two decades, coinciding with a rise in the average temperature. A 2024 study concluded that heat-related deaths in Europe could triple by the end of the century unless ambitious adaptation measures are implemented continent-wide.
More on the topic: Understanding the Risks of Extreme Heat
The data was published Thursday as part of the WMO’s annual State of the Climate Report, which revealed that several key climate change indicators reached record levels in 2024, including the highest atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide in 800,000 years, the highest annual mean temperature, record ocean heat content and sea levels, and lowest Arctic sea-ice extents.
‘A Political Choice’
In December, an analysis by non-profit Christian Aid revealed that the 10 costliest climate disasters of 2024 caused more than $229 billion in damages. All of them were water-related events, including floods and storms.
The ranking was compiled based on an analysis of insurance payouts alone, focusing on storms and cyclones due to their significant impact on infrastructure compared to any other type of extreme weather event. Because it does not take into account costs deriving losses in crop production and delays in trading, among others, the true financial toll of these events is believe to be much higher.
Patrick Watt, Christian Aid's CEO, said the suffering caused by the climate crisis is a political choice.
"These events are being supercharged by decisions to keep burning fossil fuels, to allow emissions to rise, and the failure to deliver on financial commitments," Watt said.
The burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat is the single-largest source of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These are the primary drivers of global warming as they trap heat in the atmosphere and raising Earth’s surface temperature.
Global fossil fuel consumption has more than doubled in the last 50 years, as countries around the world aim to improve their standards of living and economic output. In 2023, all three of the most potent GHGs – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide – reached record highs.
Featured image: Lieut. Commander Mark Moran, NOAA Corps, NMAO/AOC via Flickr.
You might also like: Extreme Weather 101: Your Guide to Staying Prepared and Informed
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