Asia Warming Nearly Twice as Fast as Global Average, UN Report Reveals

 

Asia is experiencing warming at nearly double the global rate, with devastating consequences for the continent's 4.6 billion inhabitants, according to a new United Nations report published today.

 

The World Meteorological Organisation's "State of the Climate in Asia 2024" report found that temperatures across the continent rose by 1.04 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 baseline last year, making it either the warmest or second warmest year on record for Asia.

 

The alarming trend shows that between 1991 and 2024, Asia's warming rate nearly doubled compared to the 1961-1990 period.

 

This acceleration occurs because landmasses heat up more rapidly than the world's oceans, leaving the vast continent—which spans from the equator to the Arctic—particularly vulnerable to severe global warming effects.

 

"Climate variability is causing unacceptable damage," said Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General. "The ability to predict increasingly volatile weather is more critical than ever to save lives and livelihoods."

 

The report coincides with record-breaking concentrations of the world's three primary greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—reaching unprecedented levels in 2023.
 

 

Deadly Heatwaves Grip Continent

Throughout 2024, relentless heatwaves swept across East Asia from April to November, with Japan, South Korea, and China consecutively breaking monthly temperature records.
 

The extreme heat extended across Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, whilst Myanmar recorded a blistering 48.2 degrees Celsius.

 

Even during 2025's below-normal summer temperatures, northwestern India endured severe heatwaves, with New Delhi's daytime temperatures soaring to 44 degrees Celsius.

 

The extreme weather triggered numerous natural disasters throughout 2024. Typhoon Yagi alone, which battered Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and China, claimed over 1,000 lives.

 

In July, heavy rainfall and landslides in Kerala, southern India, killed more than 350 people. Nepal experienced record-breaking rainfall in September, resulting in 246 deaths and an estimated $US 94 million in damages.

 

Pakistan recorded its wettest April on record, whilst Kazakhstan faced widespread urban flooding from melting snow. The United Arab Emirates experienced its heaviest rainfall since records began in 1949, with similar conditions affecting Bahrain, Oman, and Iran.
 

 

 

Marine Ecosystems Under Threat

Ocean temperatures around Asia have risen at an alarming rate of 0.24 degrees Celsius per decade over the past ten years—nearly double the global average of 0.13 degrees.

 

Sea levels along Asia's Pacific and Indian Ocean coasts are rising faster than the global average, placing low-lying coastal communities at increased risk.

 

Most Asian waters experienced severe to extreme marine heatwaves in 2024, particularly affecting the northern Indian Ocean, seas adjacent to Japan, the Yellow Sea, and the East China Sea.

 

The WMO warns that rising sea levels alter ocean currents and marine ecosystems, potentially changing storm patterns, increasing ocean stratification, and harming marine life.

 

 

Glacial Retreat Accelerates

Asia's mountainous regions face unprecedented challenges as reduced snowfall and intensifying heatwaves cause glaciers in the central Himalayas and Central Asia's Tian Shan region to shrink rapidly.

 

Of 24 monitored glaciers, 23 lost ice mass in 2024, heightening the risk of glacial lake outburst floods and large-scale flooding.

 

Severe drought in China affected approximately 4.8 million people and damaged over 810,000 hectares of crops, particularly in the Huanghai and Jianghuai regions, which endured drought for over two months before experiencing sudden heavy rainfall and flooding.

 

 

Urgent Action Required

The WMO emphasises the critical need for improved early warning systems and climate adaptation strategies to protect lives and livelihoods in this increasingly vulnerable region.
Global temperatures have risen by 1.3 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.

 

Data indicates that 20-40% of the world's population lives in regions that experienced warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius at least once during 2006-2015.

 

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, every 0.5-degree Celsius increase in global warming will significantly amplify the frequency and intensity of extreme heat, heavy rainfall events, and regional droughts.