Livestock graze near a disappearing lake in the Tengger Desert of Alxa League, Inner Mongolia on July 31, 2024. Ye Dong / World Meteorological Organization Why you can trust us In a message ahead of the new year, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that 2024, which is expected to soon be confirmed as the hottest year on record, is just one of many record-breaking years for high temperatures over the past decade. “Throughout 2024, hope has been hard to find. Wars are causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement. Inequalities and divisions are rife — fueling tensions and mistrust. And today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat,” Guterres said . As part of his message, the secretary-general warned that the previous decade has broken records for extreme heat. “The top ten 10 hottest years on record have happened in the last 10 years, including 2024,” Guterres continued. “This is climate breakdown — in real time. We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by AntoĢnio Guterres (@antonioguterres) The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which is part of the UN, recently reported that 2024 is set to be named the warmest year ever recorded . The official global temperature for 2024 will be published in January, the organization reported. Following this news, scientists are urging immediate action to safeguard the planet against the most catastrophic effects of climate change, especially as the world is already experiencing more intense and more frequent extreme weather events. “This year we saw record-breaking rainfall and flooding events and terrible loss of life in so many countries, causing heartbreak to communities on every continent,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said in a statement . […]