Extreme weather has affected 68 million people in 2018 and will worsen

The UN climate agency said that 62 million people worldwide were affected by the extreme weather and that 2 million people were forced to settle elsewhere, while the changes climatic conditions of human origin worsened. The annual report on the state of the world's climate in the world World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says that the Earth is 1 degree Celsius warmer than when the industrial age began. World leaders are trying to limit warming to 2 ° C.

Emissions from the combustion of fuels such as coal, gasoline or diesel to produce electricity and transportation contribute to global warming, resulting in more intense storms, floods and droughts. "We have seen more disasters due to climate change," he said. Secretary General of WMO Petteri Taalas. He added that since 1998, some 4,500 million people have been affected by extreme weather conditions.

"Carbon dioxide is the main problem here," said Taalas, adding that the gas remained in the environment for centuries.

Hurricane Idai just hit Mozambique This is a good example, but it is very recent to include in the report, Taalas said. The last four years have been the hottest ever recorded, according to the report. This includes 2018, the hottest year known in which a girl was introduced, Taalas added. La Niña, a natural cooling of parts of the Pacific Ocean that changes the global climate, tends to slightly reduce global temperatures.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on world leaders to meet in September to discuss plans to reduce emissions. "I tell the leaders not to come with a speech, but with a plan," Guterres said, adding that climate change is a health and safety problem for the world. "The impact on public health is increasing," said Guterres. "The combination of extreme heat and environmental pollution is proving increasingly dangerous."

The 44-page report states that:

The floods affected 35 million people.

Droughts affected 9 million more people, compounding the problem of sufficient food production.

The heat of the ocean has reached a historic level and the oceans are becoming more acidic and losing oxygen.

With a few exceptions, glaciers melt and ice in the polar oceans is reduced.

The level of carbon dioxide in the air has reached historical levels.

OCEANS, HOT

The oceans have reached record temperatures in 2018, warned the UN a few days ago, who reported that the period 2015-2018 was the hottest since the beginning of the weather records. In the report released Thursday on the state of the world's climate, WMO gives details of the proliferation of "physical manifestations" of climate change, such as extreme weather events, and its socio-economic impact. growing economy.

According to the WMO, the thermal content of the oceans reached new heights in 2018 between 0 and 700 m depth (records dating back to 1955) and between 0 and 2000 m (records dating from 2005) 2017. "L & # Sea level rise continued "at an accelerated rate", reaching a record, according to the WMO.

S.D.