State of Climate in Africa: New Report Warns Hottest Decade on Record
Africa’s climate crisis is intensifying, with 2024 marking either the warmest or second-warmest year on record, according to a new World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report released today. The past decade stands as the hottest ever, driving extreme weather that’s hitting the continent hard. From relentless droughts to devastating floods, these changes are deepening hunger, fueling insecurity, and displacing communities across the region.
The WMO highlights how rising temperatures are amplifying existing challenges. In East Africa, prolonged dry spells have crippled agriculture, while West African nations face increasingly erratic rainfall, threatening food security. Coastal areas, particularly in countries like Mozambique, are battling rising sea levels and stronger storms, which erode infrastructure and livelihoods. The report underscores that Africa, despite contributing the least to global emissions, bears a disproportionate burden of climate impacts.
Yet, African innovators and leaders are stepping up. Renewable energy projects, like Kenya’s wind farms, and climate-smart agriculture in Ethiopia show resilience in action. The WMO calls for urgent global investment in adaptation and mitigation to support these efforts, emphasizing that Africa’s future depends on collective action now.
State of the Climate in Africa 2024
The report on the State of the Climate in Africa 2024 is the fifth in the series of the annual African report, with a special focus on loss and damage. It is the result of collaboration between African National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), African Regional Climate Centres, the African Union Commission, international institutions, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and other specialized agencies of the United Nations. The report provides informed climate analysis, describes notable hydro-meteorological events, impacts and risks, and identifies key climate policies and strategic elements to build a more sustainable and climate-resilience future for Africa.
