Global warming may exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius in at least one of the next five years, new report finds
CBSN
At least one year between now and 2026 has a 48% chance of exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels — a temperature increase seen as a threshold for more extreme impacts of climate change — according to a study produced with the World Meteorological Organization. Scientists warn that the five-year forecast reveals a future where temperatures exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark could occur for longer time periods.
According to the Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update, led by the United Kingdom's Met Office, the annual average of global near-surface temperatures for any year over the next five years is forecast to be between 1.1 and 1.7 degrees Celsius higher than preindustrial levels, or the average temperatures between the years 1850 and 1900.
The study notes that "there is only a small chance" of the five-year average exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.
