Global temperatures will likely break records in next five years

There is an 80% chance that between 2025 and 2029, the world could experience the warmest year on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The WMO’s report forecast that global warming is set to consistently exceed the 1.5°C (2.7°F) threshold compared to pre-industrialized levels over the next five years, increasing the chances of extreme weather events like hurricanes, heat waves, floods, and droughts: “Higher global mean temperatures translates to more lives lost,” a climate scientist told The Associated Press.

Major carbon-emitting economies, including the US, have scaled back their climate targets in recent years. The European Union recently suggested ways to help countries ease their 2040 climate targets — part of a broader effort to dilute the bloc’s ambitious net zero goals amid political backlash.