On January 24, the selection results of the top 10 domestic and global weather and climate events in 2024 are unveiled during the monthly press conference of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), a fresh call for effective adapting actions to climate change.
In the context of climate warming, China was characterized by a noticeable warm and humid climate, and frequent and intense extreme weather events, creating many record-shattering events. Regarding both China and the entire world, 2024 was the warmest year on record. Climate anomalies also triggered myriad meteorological disasters worldwide, such as heat waves, droughts, heavy rain and floods, typhoons/hurricanes and forest wildfires.
The selection results of the top 10 weather and climate events in China have reflected the major features of China's weather and climate conditions in 2024. They are as follows:
- Huludao in Liaoning suffered from unusually torrential rain in August, 2024
- Southern China experienced the second strongest summer heat wave in history and Guangzhou experienced the "longest summer"
- Autumn typhoons were generated successively and Typhoon Yagi became the strongest typhoon that landed in China in autumn on record
- Severe convective weather frequently occurred and the area affected by hailstorm was wide-ranging
- The national average temperature in 2024 reached a new record high
- A strong cold wave enveloped China in February, 2024, seriously affecting the Spring Festival travelrush
- The intense plum rain weather battered the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the embankment of Dongting Lake was breached
- "Dragon boat water"shattered rainfall records in Guangdong and Guangxi
- Persistent rainstorm walloped Hainan, triggering secondary disasters in October, 2024
- Rainstorm in the flood season of 2024 gave rise to many mountain torrents and geological disasters
Top 10 global weather and climate events are as follows:
- The Sahara Desert suffered rare flooding in 5 decades in September, 2024
- Super Typhoon Yagi plagued many Asian countries
- Extreme summer heat wave in the Persian Gulf jeopardized human health
- Worst drought in a century gripped southern Africa
- The United Arab Emirates exposed to the heaviest rainfall in 75 years in April, 2024
- Global temperature record shattered again as climate continued to warm
- Spain was raged by heavy rain and flooding in autumn
- Rare phenomenon of 4 typhoons over the northwestern Pacific simultaneously on November 12, 2024
- Tornadoes and heavy hailstorms hit many parts of the United States
- The strongest geomagnetic storm in over two decades ignited remarkable display of the aurora borealis
The selection campaign is hosted by CMA and organized by the National Climate Centre (NCC), also in conjuction with departments like the National Meteorological Centre (NMC), the National Satellite Meteorological Centre (NSMC), CMA Public Meteorological Service Centre and CMA Communication and Outreach Centre (China Meteorological News Press), which aims to arouse the public's attention to meteorological disasters and extreme weather and climate events, enhance the initiative of meteorological disaster prevention and the awareness of self-rescue and mutual rescue, and boost the ability of the whole society to guard against meteorological disasters.