Global Warming

Climate change, extreme weather key challenges: DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra

Says 'weather management's technologies could evolve in next 50 years

Everyone should act in combating global warming: Union minister Shekhawat

Union Culture and Tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday said every human being should not act as the "owner" of this planet but act as its "custodian". After inaugurating a climate change gallery titled 'On the Edge' at Science City, Kolkata, Shekhawat said climate change has turned up to be a big issue for the entire world and every citizen as a stakeholder should play his role, not only whistleblower scientists. He said the time has come when one should stop presuming that issues like carbon emission, rise in sea level, extreme weather conditions will not affect him individually in his lifetime but are merely academic issues flagged by scientists and reports in media. "We have to behave with responsibility. Climate change is a big issue for the entire world, when discussion about the greenhouse effect and global warming began 25 years back, many might have thought its effect will be in specific areas. "That notion was belied. Those living in cold regions should no

Earth records hottest year ever in 2024, big jump breached key threshold

Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024, with such a big jump that the planet temporarily passed a major climate threshold, several weather monitoring agencies announced Friday. Last year's global average temperature easily passed 2023's record heat and kept pushing even higher. It surpassed the long-term warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit ) since the late 1800s that was called for by the 2015 Paris climate pact, according to the European Commission's Copernicus Climate Service, the United Kingdom's Meteorology Office and Japan's weather agency. The European team calculated 1.6 degrees Celsius (2.89 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming. Japan found 1.57 degrees Celsius (2.83 degrees Fahrenheit) and the British 1.53 degrees Celsius (2.75 degrees Fahrenheit) in releases of data coordinated to early Friday morning European time. American monitoring teams NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the private Berkeley Earth were to release .

Weather extremes of 2024 leading to intense floods, droughts: Report

Weather extremes of 2024 are wreaking havoc with how water moves around the planet, contributing to ferocious floods and crippling droughts, according to a new report. India saw record-high precipitation, along with countries in West Africa and Europe, it found. Global warming, caused by fossil fuel burning, is increasing the strength and rainfall intensity of monsoons, cyclones and other storm systems, an international ream of researchers, led by those at The Australian National University (ANU), said. "2024 was a year of extremes but was not an isolated occurrence. It is part of a worsening trend of more intense floods, prolonged droughts, and record-breaking extremes," lead author Albert van Dijk, a professor of water science and management, ANU, said. About four billion people, or half the world's population, from across 111 countries are estimated to have experienced their warmest year yet. "Rising sea surface temperatures intensified tropical cyclones and droughts in the Amaz

Hot button issue: How the scale of climate challenge is increasing

The World Meteorological Organization has said that 2024 was globally the warmest on record, exceeding the Paris Agreement threshold

2024 was India's warmest year since 1901, global temp also hit record high

The year 2024 was the warmest on record in India since 1901, with the average minimum temperature settling 0.90 degrees Celsius above the long-period average. The annual mean land surface air temperature across India in 2024 was 0.65 degrees Celsius above the long-term average (1991-2020 period), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), said at a virtual press briefing. The year 2024 now ranks as the warmest year on record since 1901, surpassing 2016, which had recorded a mean land surface air temperature 0.54 degrees Celsius above normal. According to the European climate agency Copernicus, 2024 likely ended as the warmest year on record and the first year with a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. A yearly review report by two groups of climate scientists -- World Weather Attribution and Climate Central -- said that the world experienced an average of 41 more days of dangerous heat in 2024.

Moment of decision missed in 2024 at UN climate summit but all's not lost

2024 is set to end as the hottest year on record and the first with a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It will also be remembered as the year developed nations had their last big chance to prevent the world from permanently crossing this critical threshold by funding climate action in the Global South -- and they blew it. Relentless warming fuelled record-breaking heatwaves, deadly storms, and floods that devastated lives and homes by the thousands in 2024. Millions were displaced, and all eyes turned to the UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, hoping for a climate finance package capable of ramping up action in the Global South. A study published in 2023 estimated that developed countries owe around USD 170 trillion for their excessive emissions, having consumed 70-90 per cent of the total carbon budget since the industrial era. Instead, developed countries -- mandated under the UN climate regime to finance climate action in develop

Climate change led to 41 additional days of extreme heat in 2024: Report

The world experienced an average of 41 more days of extreme heat in 2024 due to climate change, a new report said on Friday. According to the European climate agency Copernicus, 2024 is set to end as the warmest year on record and the first year with a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. A yearly review report by two groups of climate scientists -- World Weather Attribution (WWA) and Climate Central -- said the world saw an average of 41 more days of dangerous heat in 2024. Small island developing states were hit the hardest, with their people experiencing over 130 additional hot days. The scientists identified 219 extreme weather events in 2024 and studied 29 of them. They found that climate change contributed to at least 3,700 deaths and displaced millions in 26 extreme weather events. "It is likely the total number of people killed in extreme weather events intensified by climate change this year is in the tens or hundreds of thousands,"

New York to charge fossil fuel firms for damage from climate change

Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The new law requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects meant to repair or avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill, signed on Thursday, earlier this year to force big oil and gas companies to contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events and resiliency projects such as coastal wetland restoration and upgrades to roads, bridges and water drainage systems. The Climate Change Superfund Act is now law, and New York has fired a shot that will be heard round the world: the companies most responsible for the climate crisis will be held accountable," said state Senator Liz Krueger, a Democrat who sponsored the bill. The planet's largest climate polluters bear a unique responsibility for creating the climate crisis, a

Arctic faces drastic changes, 2024 report highlights worrying trends

The Arctic of today looks stunningly different from the Arctic of even one to two decades ago

IOC pact gives us access to 37K retailers, 13K LPG distributors: Maini

This partnership allows us to access IOC's 37,000 retail outlets and 13,000 LPG distributors, and they have a very strong brand presence, he says

2024 will be world's hottest year ever recorded, say EU scientists

C3S said data from January to November had confirmed 2024 is now certain to be the hottest year on record, and the first in which average global temperatures exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius

Best of BS Opinion: Reversing family planning, time to adapt and more

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Global warming and AI: Urgent need to curb AI's environmental impact

Global warming and artificial intelligence are rarely discussed together or even considered connected themes. But this is a mistake because they are linked closely

Climate change case to open at UN court as island nations fear rising seas

The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history on Monday, when it opens two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice last year for an opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change. We want the court to confirm that the conduct that has wrecked the climate is unlawful, Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, who is leading the legal team for the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, told The Associated Press. In the decade up to 2023, sea levels have risen by a global average of around 4.3 centimeters (1.7 inches), with parts of the Pacific rising higher still. The world has also warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times because of the burning

Global warming result of unplanned, unscientific development: CM Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that global warming is a challenge for the world and it is a result of unplanned and unscientific development by the man. "The world is concerned; every person who has even a little positive feeling about the environment and the living world and its bright future in the country is concerned (about the environment)," he said, at an event organised to distribute appointment letters to 701 forest guards selected by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission. Global warming is a challenge for the whole world, but it has not come from anywhere else, he said, adding that it is a result of following the path of unplanned and unscientific development that man is facing it as a problem. "Somewhere there is excessive rain, and somewhere there is a 'heat wave'. Somewhere life is destroyed by floods, and somewhere people are yearning for a drop of water," Adityanath said. Congratulating the selected candidates, Yogi s

'India shaping global climate action while upholding own development plan'

India is playing a pivotal role in shaping global climate mechanisms while ensuring its own developmental priorities are upheld, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav stated on Thursday, amidst the ongoing climate talks in Azerbaijan. Speaking at the 97th Annual General Meeting and Annual Convention of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) under the theme 'Our Actions for Viksit Bharat' here, the minister also highlighted India's active role in shaping these global climate mechanisms, alongside its efforts to ensure that domestic priorities remain central to its approach. "Our initiatives to promote carbon and green credits align with global climate goals, while safeguarding India's developmental objectives, he noted. Providing updates on the ongoing COP29 in Baku, the minister revealed that Article 6.4 will be fully implemented at the international level. In a landmark decision on the first day of the global climate talks in Baku, COP29 officially ...

Abrupt, 'irreversible' drop in global freshwater levels, Nasa study claims

Recent data from Nasa satellites have revealed that Earth's surface has lost freshwater abruptly since 2015. This major drop coincides with a 2014 to 2016 period of El Niño warming

Need to mitigate risks linked with glacial lakes: Principal secy Mishra

P K Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday stressed the need for mitigating risks associated with glacial lakes to ensure a safer future for communities. Mishra asserted that through the tri-focal lens of assessment, monitoring and mitigation, India has made substantial progress in this area. He made the remarks at the 4th Workshop of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction (CoDRR) on Strategies for GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) Risk Reduction here. Complimenting the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Department of Water Resources for organising the workshop, he focused on international perspectives and experiences, pertinently India's experiences, gaps and challenges in mitigating the risks and related aspects. Mishra said the discussions on Sikkim glacial lake outburst flood disaster has brought to focus the enormity of the challenge. Indeed, the South Lhonak GLOF was a wake-up call for all of us, he said. Mishra undersc

Delhi witness unusually high temp in Nov, mercury likely to drop from 17th

Delhi is experiencing unusually high temperatures this November with specific weather conditions that usually trigger the onset of winter not aligning yet though weather officials predict a dip in mercury starting November 17. Despite entering mid-November, both daytime and nighttime temperatures in Delhi remain far above seasonal norms. As of the second week of the month, daily highs continue to hover above 30C, while nighttime temperatures are between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius -- a stark contrast to previous years when they would typically drop to between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius by now. According to data from 2011 to 2023, November temperatures have typically decreased with daytime highs ranging between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius and nighttime lows between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius. This year, however, daytime temperatures have not fallen below 30 degrees Celsius, with the lowest recorded so far at 31 degrees Celsius. In contrast, on November 11, 2023, the daytime temperature ..