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LAST UPDATE | 19 Mar
IRREVERSIBLE HUMAN-INDUCED climate change is spiralling globally, according to the latest report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Record greenhouse gas concentrations contributed to temperatures never recorded before last year, according to the WMO’s latest State of the Climate Report. It was the warmest year on record.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, Met Éireann has revealed that there were lower-than-average levels of rainfall last year, as well as the warmest-recorded Spring
Here’s five graphs from those reports, showing the state of the climate.
Met Éireann’s report, released today to coincide with the WMO’s, notes the differences in rainfall in Ireland last year compared to previous years.
Ireland experienced a very dry winter last year, compared to previous years, which included a 16-day drought in Co Cork in January. By February, a significant increase in rainfall was experienced.
The increased and persistent rain in February continued throughout Spring, leading to February, March and April recording much-higher-than-average rainfall levels. Last Spring was one of the wettest on record and included the third wettest March in Dublin.
While June and July were relatively drier than normal, temperatures were significantly lower than average as cold, Arctic air systems suppressed most rain until August, which also saw record-levels of rainfall that month.
In the last three years, glaciers have melted faster than ever before. The WMO report states that this is particularly negative near the North Pole, Norway and Sweden.
Just two of the nearly 150 glaciers monitored by the WMO last year had any positive changes. The “exceptionally negative” impact that the warmer climate is having on glaciers could led to an increase of 1.1 metres is sea levels.
Glacier loss impacts almost every aspect of global life, including crop yields, and threatens food security and poverty prevention measures. It risks polluting clean water and species extinction and has extreme impacts on the economy.
Record levels of greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere, according to the 2024 report.
Carbon dioxide is at 151% of pre-industrial levels, methane was recorded at 266% of pre-industrial levels while nitrous oxide was recorded at 124% of pre-industrial levels.
It is the highest amount of CO2 in the atmosphere in 2 million years and the highest levels of both methane and nitrous oxide in 800,000 years. In the last decade alone, CO2 levels have increased by 79%.
These gases are contributing to food insecurity, rising temperatures and ocean acidification and affecting marine wildlife.
The global mean temperature increased by 1.55 degrees last year, the world’s warmest year ever. In Ireland, it was the fourth warmest year on record.
Experts are currently working on calculating where the world is in relation to the goals of the Paris climate agreement, which aims to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
Extreme weather is a big feature of the WMO report on 2024. It specifically mentions flash flooding and extreme rainfall events such as the floods in Valencia, Spain last year. It also notes many events of extreme rainfall in parts of South America.
However, in comparison to the previous decade, certain parts of the world have seen rainfall patterns drastically change in a short period of time.
The report notes how these changes are having a direct impact on sea level increases. According to this year’s report, the WMO states that irreversible damage and change has been made to the world’s sea levels as a result of these changing patterns.
Level 4 & 5 shouldn’t even exist, it’s like looking at a leaked document from north Korea, people have to act responsibly and protect others, but the economy, Jobs and quality of life must also always be a top priority, where else will the HSE etc get funding from? And who wants to live a life being told to stay home every time the inevitable happens?
@David Lee: ok, but what do you recommend they do if it gets to a stage where the hospitals can’t function due to the level of seriously ill covid patients?
@David Lee: well can we blame those who object to and fail to abide by level 1 and level 2 measures for the necessity of and the introduction of level 3, level 4 or level 5 measures. Level 5 downwards are designed to protect life itself and not just quality of life. There us little point in some having a “high” quality of life if it means that others have no life at all.
@Lurfic: thats not the ordinary citizens fault, that is down to the government and how bad our healtchare system is, some countries haven’t locked down at all, yes they’ve had many cases and more deaths, but their hospitals functioned throughout.
@David Lee: well we’re not going to fix a health care system over night so only option is to go to those levels if hospitals can’t cope.
So level five you have to stay at home but kids can go to school so are they expected to walk to and from school by themselves ?
@Deirdre Meredith: seems that common sense is missing… Essential journeys are normally permitted. Many kids do not need parents to bring them to school. Some walk, some cycle, some go by public transport, some by private bus but some will need lifts, particularly those in primary school and I am sure some parents may want to keep their kids at home or maybe even their school or class will have a case and be closed. Keeping the schools open has to be a top priority after essential services so I hope common sense will prevail and people will not be too literal.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: I was been sarcastic
So can 50 people have a religious gathering in House? People who worship Beer for example
@Stephen Maher: here here
@Stephen Maher: That would be an ecumenical matter
@Stephen Maher: That would be an ecumenical matter
What do we get for beating the end of level boss ?
@Stephen East: Pandemic 2:electric boogaloo
@Stephen East: We get a bonus round in which we have to guess movie quotes for extra home visitors. The goid kind of visitors which is helping with the dishes
@Stephen East: you have to go back and find 3 large bonus coins in every level.
“No home visits
Up to six people at weddings
No indoor gatherings
Up to 15 people at outdoor gatherings”
Even this one small section goes to show how non sensicial any of this is
where is Level2.5? i don’t see it mentioned but he said Dublin was at that level?
@William O’ Connor: there are an infinite number of levels between level 2 and level 3. That is a mathematical fact although some mathematical numbers may be irrational
The epidemic is over. Read and understand the global statistics
@Eric Vdc: this is a pandemic, not an epidemic, maybe you should understand the definition of the words you’re using before worrying about the statistics.
@Trish: lol ok… maybe you will call the next winter flu a pandemic also since it is likely to spread across a large region.
@Eric Vdc: which epidemic is that. The Covid-19 case count currently has a 7 day average of nearly 275,000 new cases a day. This is the highest 7 day average recorded so far. So the global statistics show that the case rate is increasing as well as the case count.
The 7 day average death rate is 5100 deaths a day which is a slight fall in death rate which can be attributed better medical intervention, and, maybe, a different case age profile such as we have in Ireland.
These are the covid-19 stats
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: The daily count of people tested Covid positively is absolutely irrelevant. This can be easily explained by the # of tests performed worldwide. — What matters really is the # of death and people admitted in ICU. — All stats indicate that the virus is not as virulent as it was before June- as experts acknowledge there is not 1 but multiple (7?) virus strain and a large number of us are aready healthy carriers.
@Eric Vdc: True hardly any deaths in Spain even thought more cases than at height of crisis, it’s burning itself out. Wear masks and wash hands. Simple.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Do you work for the Journal or do you just have plenty of time to have an opinion on absolutely everything? You’ve alot to say on every topic.
@Eric Vdc: please read this https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/09/health/coronavirus-brain.html
And from the start the 5 level plan has already an exception and is adding confusion for the future
(Otherwise at least a plan)
The term “wet pub” needs to fark off
?? Hahahahhaha funny buddy nobody can not tell me how many people can be in my house this is my property not government take this level 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and put in your …
“In Dublin, no more than six people from two households can gather”
Does this mean that if six people live in your house then you can’t have people over at all? Sorry if that’s a stupid question I’m just a bit confused
@A d d y o u r n a m e: it means if theres already more than six in the household you may start workin out your favourites
@Daimhín De Naois: you remind me of the advert where they have to downsize … And get rid of family members.
It is an interesting question though can have your own household ( which could be ten or more ) and six from one and six from another
I never thought of it that way before but it makes more sense..
@A d d y o u r n a m e: I think six people from two different households is twelve people in total. Is six people from Cork and six people from Donegal six people from two different counties or twelve people from two different counties. I think we are counting “people from different households” rather than “people” so six “people from two different households” means a maxinum of 12 people with no more than 6 from any one household. But I could be wrong – oh how I love the different interpretations of the same simple words.
@A d d y o u r n a m e: Do what you want. Everyone else will.
I will have as many people on my house as I choose. The pandemic has passed. Only fear and crass $tup|d|ty remaining……
@Paul Lanigan: who told you the pandemic has passed? We don’t have a vaccine and we still don’t know all there is to know about this virus yet. It doesn’t just affect the lungs, it also affects the brain. And possibly much more. It hasn’t even been on the planet for a year, strange you’d be so dismissive about it.
Stop playing golf and Country hopping!
I seriously hope there is a one page infographic for this!
@Brian McDonald: It will be a specially coloured in geography map…like what we had in primary school
No that the whole cabinet has to isolate will you all be on the covid payment of 350 per week hope so as that would be a big saving for the state
How can schools remain open at level 5?
And can we pass a law to remove the term “wet pubs” please!
Why is martin not in isolation until the results come back for the minister of health? He knows that minister has been sent forward for testing, he was in contact with him today martin should be in isolation. Better still permanent isolation for not putting the country first over his own needs and greed
Losing the will to live listening to this mumbo jumbo for the last six months, I’ve been working in a hospital all through this. I live in Dublin and do the mask and social distancing bit but…give over on the ridiculous mixed messages your losing credibility fast.
All I want is for my kids to be able to stay in school. So, please can we all do our part to not give it to someone who has children who will possibly pass it on to another child who will then shut down their pod, their class, or even their school? Online learning did not work on so many levels. I certainly do not want to be the reason why my son’s school is shut down.
If we all do our part it can actually make a difference rather than the government having to put us in lockdown.
have your say