Earth Is on Track to Breach 1.5 Degrees of Warming , in the Next 5 Years.
A combination of fossil fuel gasses and an impending El Niño have all but guaranteed that the planet will exceed "1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels for the first time" within five years, CNN reports.
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A warming El Niño is expected to develop in the coming months and this will combine with human-induced climate change to push global temperatures into uncharted territory.
, Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General, via statement.
This will have far-reaching repercussions for health, food security, water management and the environment.
We need to be prepared, Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General, via statement.
While the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says the occurrence may not be permanent, it still signifies that climate change is rapidly accelerating.
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This report does not mean that we will permanently exceed the 1.5 degrees Celsius level specified in the Paris Agreement which refers to long-term warming over many years.
, Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General, via statement.
However, WMO is sounding the alarm that we will breach the 1.5 degrees Celsius level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency, Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General, via statement.
The 1.5 degrees of warming is considered to be a key tipping point by many experts.
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Exceeding the threshold would likely lead to more extreme natural disasters and food shortages.
Exceeding the threshold would likely lead to more extreme natural disasters and food shortages.
According to the WMO, there is currently a 66% chance that the threshold will be breached by 2027
