2020 One of 3 Warmest Years on Record – WMO

Geneva – The year 2020 was one of the three warmest on record, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Thursday.

The warmest six years have all been since 2015, with 2016, 2019, and 2020 being the top three, said the weather body.

The average global temperature in 2020 was about 14.9 degrees Celsius, 1.2 (± 0.1) C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level, it added.

According to UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, “the confirmation by the World Meteorological Organization that 2020 was one of the warmest years on record is yet another stark reminder of the relentless pace of climate change, which is destroying lives and livelihoods across our planet.”

“Today, we are at 1.2 degrees of warming and already witnessing unprecedented weather extremes in every region and on every continent,” he said in a statement.

For Guterres, “making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century. It must be the top priority for everyone, everywhere.”

Sustained heat and wildfires in Siberia and low Arctic sea ice extent, as well as the record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season, were among the standout features of 2020.