Last year, global temperatures reached unprecedented levels, and the United Nations’ climate and weather agency reported that Asia was experiencing an exceptionally rapid increase in temperature.
The World Meteorological Organization has warned that the intensity of heatwaves in Asia is escalating, causing concerns over melting glaciers that may jeopardize the region’s water supply in the future.
According to the WMO, Asia’s warming rate is faster than the global average, with temperatures in the past year almost two degrees Celsius higher than the 1961-1990 average. WMO’s chief, Celeste Saulo, expressed the report’s findings as “sobering” in a public statement.
Numerous nations in the region encountered their warmest year yet in 2023, accompanied by an array of extreme weather conditions, including droughts, heatwaves, floods, and storms. Climate change has significantly intensified the frequency and severity of these events, leading to substantial consequences for societies, economies, and, above all, human life and the environment we inhabit.
The “State of the Climate in Asia 2023” report emphasized the rapid increase in crucial climate change indicators, such as surface temperature, glacier retreat, and sea level rise. These developments will carry severe implications for the region’s societies, economies, and ecosystems.
In 2023, Asia continued to be the world’s most affected area by weather, climate, and water-related hazards, as stated by the World Meteorological Organization.
Heat, melting and floods
In 2023, Asia experienced its second highest annual mean near-surface temperature, reaching 0.91°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.87°C above the 1961-1990 average. Notably, regions such as western Siberia, central Asia, eastern China, and Japan witnessed exceptionally high temperatures, with Japan experiencing its warmest summer on record.
Conversely, the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush mountain range in Pakistan and Afghanistan faced below-normal precipitation. Southwest China struggled with a drought due to insufficient rainfall throughout the year.
The High-Mountain Asia region, centered around the Tibetan Plateau, holds the largest volume of ice outside the polar regions. Over the past few decades, these glaciers have been retreating at an accelerating rate, as stated by the World Meteorological Organization.
Among 22 monitored glaciers in the area, 20 showed continuous mass loss in the previous year. Additionally, the 2023 sea-surface temperatures in the northwest Pacific Ocean hit a record high.
‘Urgency’ for action
In the previous year, Asia experienced 79 water-related weather disaster incidents, with over 80% being floods and storms. These events led to more than 2,000 fatalities and affected nearly nine million people directly.
The World Meteorological Organization highlighted that floods were the primary cause of death in these 2023 events. Asia’s high vulnerability to natural hazards remains a significant concern.
Hong Kong faced an unprecedented rainfall of 158.1 millimeters in an hour on September 7, a record since 1884, due to a typhoon. The WMO emphasizes the urgent need for enhanced regional weather services, providing targeted information to officials working on mitigating disaster risks.
Saulo from WMO stated, “Our actions and strategies must reflect the urgency of the current situation.” He added, “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the evolving climate is not just an option but a fundamental necessity.”
