Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Damian Carrington Environment editor

More than 150 ‘unprecedented’ climate disasters struck world in 2024, says UN

The head of a young man in a black baseball cap looks backward down a flooded street as he rides in a boat; another motor boat is behind him. The cloudy sky and pastel-coloured buildings are reflected in the silvery water.
Flooding in the Vila Farrapos neighbourhood of Porto Alegre, Brazil, May 2024: the World Meteorological Organization’s report listed 151 unprecedented extreme weather events last year. Photograph: Daniel Marenco/The Guardian

The devastating impacts of the climate crisis reached new heights in 2024, with scores of unprecedented heatwaves, floods and storms across the globe, according to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.

The WMO’s report on 2024, the hottest year on record, sets out a trail of destruction from extreme weather that took lives, demolished buildings and ravaged vital crops. More than 800,000 people were displaced and made homeless, the highest yearly number since records began in 2008.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.