The World Meteorological Society’s State of the Global Climate report was released this week. Among many extremes from wildfires to floods, it outlined that Sea Level Rise hit news heights in 2021. Grim reading … a few key messages

Atmospheric concentrations of the major greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, continued to increase in 2020 and 2021. The growth rate of all three greenhouse gases in 2020 was above the average for the last decade despite a 5.6% drop in fossil fuel CO2 emissions in 2020 due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Global mean temperature in 2021 (January to September) is around 1.08 ±0.13 °C above the 1850- 1900 pre-industrial average and the year is likely to be between the 5th and 7 th warmest year on record. 2021 is cooler than recent years owing to La Niña conditions early in the year.

The rate of global sea level rise has increased since satellite altimeter measurements began in 1993, reaching 4.4 mm/yr between 2013 and 2021. Global mean sea level reached a new record high in 2021.

Ocean heat content reached new record highs in 2019 and then 2020, the latest year for which a comprehensive analysis is available. Ocean warming rates show a particularly strong increase in the past two decades.

Etc you’ll get the picture

‘We’re in uncharted territory for the world’s climate’, UN says

Report sets out heatwaves, wildfires, droughts and floods that have wreaked havoc this year

Professor of Glaciology Jonathan Bamber spoke to the Guardian saying “If we continue on our current trajectory, that rise could exceed 2m by 2100 and displace some 630 million people worldwide. The consequences of that are unimaginable”. Read more