2024 set to break Aussie heat record, as global temperatures cross 1.5C threshold

Global temperatures are predicted to reach 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for the first time ever this year – a threshold that scientists have long cautioned would bring a more extreme, unpredictable climate.

From heatwaves to flooding rains, 2024 has been a year of wild weather for the planet, and Australia did not come out unscathed.

Prof Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at the Australian National University said, "As a scientist, I can use generic terms like 'concerning' and 'worrying', but honestly, as a person, I'm petrified with where it's going."

"We're about to have our hottest year on record and it just plainly shows that we're not doing enough globally to reduce emissions."

"Extreme events seem to be occurring more often and more viciously," said Prof Perkins-Kirkpatrick, suggesting that this could become the new normal under an increasingly warmer climate.

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