The United Nations’ weather and climate agency warns that global average temperatures will remain at or near record levels over the coming years. In a new report issued on Thursday, the UN says temperatures are likely to continue this pattern this year and for the following four years, with no sign of a near-term reversal. It notes that the 11 hottest individual years on record have all occurred since 2015, a trend it says is expected to persist as climate change accelerates over both land and oceans.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), cited in the coverage, indicates there is a 75% chance that the five-year mean temperature for 2026–2030 will surpass 1.5°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial baseline. Several outlets also report that the outlook extends into the next decade, describing a sustained likelihood of record-level temperatures into the 2030s. One source adds that a new hottest-ever year before 2031 is considered likely, based on the continued warming trend.
