Antalya:The world is entering a new era where climate extremes are becoming the norm, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned at the COP31 climate conference in Turkey. He urged leaders to take decisive action to address these challenges.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Guterres highlighted the collision of a supersized El Nino with a planet already experiencing significant manmade climate change. He emphasized the need for leaders to urgently cut emissions, expedite the transition from fossil fuels, and provide necessary finance and protection for vulnerable countries.
The UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report indicating that 2026 has continued a trend of exceptional global temperatures, ice melt, and rising sea levels. It noted that the past 12 years rank among the hottest on record, with this year expected to be one of the hottest ever.
WMO chief Celeste Saulo warned that the current strong El Nino could lead to more heat and extreme weather well into next year. The global average surface temperature from January to September was 1.47 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, and the El Nino could push it even higher.
The WMO also reported record-high global sea levels, diminishing freshwater resources, and continued glacier retreat. In 2025, the annual ice mass loss was equivalent to filling five Olympic pools every second. Saulo warned that weather events are intensifying faster than historical baselines prepared us for.
On a positive note, the WMO noted a significant increase in countries with essential multi-hazard early warning systems, rising from 55 in 2015 to 136 last year. It called for more investment in global observations and data-gathering to support these systems.