Geneva: The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned that the global temperature is set to break a key temperature limit for the first time within the next five years.

There is now a 66 percent chance of breaching a global average temperature of 1.5 C at least once between now and 2027, which would mark the first time in human history.

The majority of countries worldwide have committed to limiting global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This commitment was made when they signed the historic Paris Agreement during the COP21 climate conference, aiming to mitigate the severe impacts of climate change such as floods, rising sea levels, and droughts.

Although surpassing the 1.5-degree Celsius mark is concerning, scientists emphasise that it would not signify a permanent crossing of the threshold.

The global average temperature would need to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius on multiple occasions for the climate to be considered permanently warmed to that level. However, it does indicate that the world is moving closer to this point and suggests that humanity’s efforts to address climate change, primarily through reducing fossil fuel consumption, may have been insufficient and sluggish.

Mr. Doug Parr, Chief Scientist at Greenpeace UK, commented that “it is very likely we’re going to exceed that, we might even reach 1.5C; it’s more likely than not that we will.” This report must be a rallying cry to intensify global efforts to tackle the climate crisis.”

Mr. Parr noted that every “tenth of a degree of warming we can avoid will reduce the chances of extreme weather across the world and its human cost”.

There is only a 32 percent chance that the five-year mean average will exceed the 1.5C threshold.

The world has already warmed by around 1.1C at least. The WMO further remarked that there is a 98 percent chance of the hottest year on record being broken during that time.

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