Over the last six decades, some years have been hotter than others. In China, no year was hotter than 2024, Al Jazeera reported.
"The top four warmest years ever were the past four years, with all top ten warmest years since 1961 occurring in the 21st century," the China Meteorological Administration said.
This trend is alarming, as rising temperatures are a sign of dangerous extreme weather events to come.
What's happening?
Meteorologists thought 2023 in China was hot, and it was — but 2024 was hotter.
July was the country's hottest month on record. Meanwhile, the year's average temperature was 10.92 degrees Celsius (51.66 degrees Fahrenheit), over a full degree warmer than the previous year, according to the CMA.
Shanghai and Guangzhou, two major cities, also experienced record-breaking heat waves.
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Why are rising temperatures important?
When temperatures rise, good things typically do not follow. In China, the heat brought stronger storms and higher rainfall along with it. Dozens of people died last year when a highway collapsed from rainfall, and thousands more had to evacuate their homes during extreme flooding. Other areas around the country experienced intense heat and drought, Al Jazeera reported.
"As a multitude of climate impacts hit China, people's lives and livelihoods are impacted," Greenpeace said last year, warning that China's extremely hot days were arriving earlier and impacting larger areas each year, per Al Jazeera.
Swiss Re, an insurance company, estimated that climate-related natural disasters in 2024 caused $310 billion in economic losses, the outlet reported.
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Extreme weather stems from warmer oceans, which create more water vapor, and warmer air, which holds more water vapor. Both are influenced by rising temperatures and do not just result in one-off disasters. They are driven in large part by humans burning energy sources that pollute and heat the atmosphere, creating a pattern of harsh weather events that is widely recognized by the global science community.
What's being done about extreme weather?
The Paris climate agreement set standards and targets for participating governments to work toward, including for rising temperatures. Some nations are more on track than others.
Last year was the warmest on record for the entire world, according to the United Nations. That means wherever you live, it's important to take steps to minimize the planet-warming energy sources you rely on.
That could mean changing the products you buy, how you get around, and the companies you support. There's no shortage of ways to live clean and green.
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