Samantha Burgess

The globe has warmed by about 1.4 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.

And if warming continues at the same average rate experienced over the last 15 years, then we will reach 1.5 degree level by the end of this decade.

Countries have agreed to try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to avoid more extreme storms, rainfall, and heat waves.

Samantha Burgess with the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts says the Earth has nearly reached that.

2024 was the hottest year in the past 11 years of all set records.

The primary driver for the hotter climate is rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mostly from human activity such as burning fossil fuels.

Jeff Brady, NPR News.