State of Climate in Asia 2024 Report
Why it Matters?
Asia recorded its warmest or second warmest year in 2024 with temperatures 1.04°C above the 30-year average, as per the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with warming twice the global average, causing extreme events like heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and glacier loss.
What You Should Know?
The State of Climate in Asia 2024 was released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Key Findings of the State of Climate in Asia 2024:
Asia recorded its warmest or second warmest year in 2024, with temperatures 1.04°C above the 30-year average (1991–2020).
The rate of warming in Asia (1991–2024) was almost double that of the 1961–1990 period.
Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, says the WMO report.
Extreme weather events in 2024 included 29 tropical cyclones, prolonged heat waves, marine heat waves, and extreme rainfall events.
Japan recorded its warmest year on record in 2024, surpassing its 2023 record.
In India, heatwaves caused over 450 deaths, with temperatures reaching 50°C in some areas.
India also saw 1,300 deaths from lightning events in 2024.
Tropical Cyclone Yagi was the strongest and deadliest in Asia in 2024, impacting eight countries, including the Philippines, China, and Myanmar.
Cyclones Remal, Fengal, and Dana made landfall near the Indian sub-continent, killing about 90 people, while Cyclone Asna caused floods in Gujarat and 50 deaths.
Marine heatwaves impacted nearly 15 million sq. km, with severe effects in the Northern Indian Ocean and East Asian seas.
23 out of 24 glaciers monitored in High Mountain Asia lost mass in 2024.
Urumqi Glacier No.1 (Tian Shan) recorded its worst mass loss since 1959.
Above-normal rainfall occurred in the Arabian Desert, Balochistan, Myanmar, and Siberia.
Western Asia witnessed extreme rainfall in April 2024, with daily rainfall exceeding annual averages in some regions.