Saharan dust storms like this one in Athens, Greece (above), are becoming more common
Reuters/Louisa Gouliamaki
It won’t be confirmed until January, but it is now almost certain that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record. Even more significantly, the global average temperature is set to show that the planet has warmed by more than 1.5°C since the 19th century – the limit countries agreed to pursue under the Paris Agreement.
But average temperatures are just one way of assessing the rapid changes taking place in the planet’s climate in response to our greenhouse gas emissions. From…