Climate change

41 dangerously hot days caused by humans
"Prepare for increased temperatures and reduce the risk of deaths"

TT

Published 2024-12-27 06.00

The drought in the Amazon was made worse by climate change caused by humans, according to scientists. Archive photo. Photo: Edmar Barros/AP/TT

Climate change caused by humans resulted in an average of 41 dangerously hot days in 2024, according to a new report.

The scientists are urging all countries to prepare for increasing temperatures to reduce the risk of deaths and injuries.

The report, which the World Weather Attribution (WWA) research network has done together with Climate Central, looks back on a year of extreme weather.

“The effects of warming caused by fossil fuels have never been clearer or more devastating than in 2024. We are living in a dangerous new era,” said Friederike Otto, climatologist and head of the WWA, in a press release.

Caused 3,700 deaths

Climate change contributed to at least 3,700 deaths and millions being displaced in the weather events studied. The most deaths were caused by floods in Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, where at least 2,000 people died.

“Another year of extreme weather has shown that we are not well prepared for life with a warming of 1.3-1.5°C. In 2025, it is essential that every country accelerates its efforts to adapt to climate change,” said Julie Arrighi, head of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Centre.

Driven historic drought

Many of the extreme weather events that took place at the beginning of the year were influenced by El Niño. But according to the researchers, their studies show that climate change played a larger role in driving, among other things, the historic drought in the Amazon.

“We know exactly what we need to do to prevent it from getting worse: stop using fossil fuels. The most important decision for 2025 must be the transition from fossil fuels – it will make the world a safer and more stable place,” says Friederike Otto.