2024 marked the first year that global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, reaching approximately 1.55°C, confirming warnings from climate scientists about crossing this critical threshold.

Climate tipping points, once considered distant threats, are now imminent, with a 45% chance of triggering one or more by 2300 if current policies remain unchanged.

Climate change has intensified extreme weather events, with 2024 seeing 41 additional days of dangerously hot conditions globally and record-breaking floods across Europe, Asia, and Brazil.

Predictions indicate that the average temperature for 2025-2029 could be between 1.2°C and 1.9°C higher than the 1850-1900 average, suggesting ongoing warming.

This rise in temperatures has been accompanied by an increase in climate-related disasters, with 2024 experiencing 27 billion-dollar weather events in the U.S. alone, totaling over $182 billion in damages.

The destabilization of glaciers like Thwaites is contributing to rising sea levels, while NASA reports that sea levels in 2024 surpassed expected rates, increasing the risk of coastal flooding.

Arctic sea ice extent hit record lows in July 2025, with only 9.13 million square kilometers, the second lowest since 1979, highlighting rapid Arctic changes.

Sea level rise continues at an alarming rate, with the Gulf Coast experiencing at least 6 inches of increase since 2010, and projections suggest that sea levels could rise over the next 30 years to match the increase seen in the previous century.

The Amazon Basin faces severe ecosystem collapse due to ongoing droughts and wildfires, and the Arctic tundra has shifted from a carbon sink to a source, exacerbating global warming.

Widespread land degradation is evident, with over three-quarters of Earth's land becoming permanently drier, threatening food security especially in Africa.

The year 2024 also saw record high greenhouse gas concentrations and an increase in severe storms, including 1,735 tornadoes, the second-highest annual total.

Overall, recent climate extremes have exceeded scientific projections, indicating that Earth is entering uncharted territory regarding temperature and weather patterns, emphasizing the urgent need for substantial emissions reductions.