The Arab region is heating at nearly twice the global average, UN weather experts warned on Thursday, after 2024 saw unprecedented heat, destructive storms and worsening water scarcity impact some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.
The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) first State of the Climate in the Arab Region report paints a stark picture of a region under constant pressure from rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather.
The UN agency noted that “a number of countries [in the Arab region] reported temperatures of above 50°C (122°F) last year, while average regional temperatures for 2024 were 1.08°C higher than from 1991 to 2020.
Highlighting the significance of this data, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo noted that scorching temperatures marked by intense and longer-lasting heatwaves “are pushing society to the limits…it is simply too hot to handle,” she said.
“Human health, ecosystems and economies can’t cope with extended spells of more than 50°C,” the WMO chief continued. “Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions. And at the same time, we have seen some disruptive and dangerous deluges.”
