More high temperatures coming; be prepared says WMO

If you are complaining about the heat and the high temperatures being experienced in Dominica at present, brace yourself, because it isn’t going to get better.

Temperatures are expected to rise this year and in the coming years, not only in Dominica but globally.

This week, in a new report, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels in the next five years, fueled by heat-trapping greenhouse gases and a naturally occurring El Niño weather pattern.

“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, Secretary-General of the WMO said. “This will have far-reaching repercussions for health, food security, water management, and the environment. We need to be prepared.”

According to the report, there’s a 66 per cent chance of the temperature exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year between 2023 and 2027.

“It’s the first time in history that it’s more likely than not that we will exceed 1.5°C,” Adam Scaife of the U.K.’s Met Office, who worked on the report, told Reuters.

This, according to scientists, could have dire consequences. Although the breach of the 1.5°C limit is expected to be temporary, Taalas warned that this El Niño event could signal a new pattern.

“This report does not mean that we will permanently exceed the 1.5°C level specified in the Paris Agreement which refers to long-term warming over many years. However, WMO is sounding the alarm that we will breach the 1.5°C level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency,” Taalas said.

The report pointed out that new record temperatures have been set in many areas around the world in the heatwaves of the past year but this is only the beginning as climate breakdown and the impact of a developing El Niño weather system combine to create heatwaves across the globe.

It also stated that warming in the Arctic is “disproportionately high,” which has threatened the collapse of a crucial ocean current system and disrupted weather patterns in the northern hemisphere.

“This report must be a rallying cry to intensify global efforts to tackle the climate crisis,” Doug Parr, Chief Scientist at Greenpeace U.K., told Reuters.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

2 Comments

  1. Truth Be Told
    May 22, 2023

    Good luck folks. Brace yourselves for the next Erica and Maria and remember, “if you not red you dead”! This is the reality of our Dominica today but God is in control. Evil, malice, greed, theft, cool-out, selfishness, corruption, power-hungry, hypocricy, lies, deceptions are all seen by God. We cannot take the loot to heaven or hell and we cannot fool God. Good luck.

  2. Bring back the kidnapped parrote
    May 20, 2023

    Dominica better get ready hotter temperatures also means larger more powerful hurricanes dwarfing category 5 maybe there will be a category 6 hurricane with winds over 200 MPH like tornadoes in the US. Tornadoes in the US are also getting stronger and larger.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available