WMO report reveals unprecedented marine heatwave, soaring temperatures, and rising sea levels, sounding the alarm for urgent climate action in island nations

The South-West Pacific experienced its hottest year in recorded history in 2024, with extreme heat, devastating cyclones, and the most extensive marine heatwave ever observed, according to the State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2024 report released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Wednesday.

The region—which includes Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Pacific island nations—saw annual land and ocean surface temperatures surpass all previous records, with several countries reporting their hottest year on record. The intense warming was driven by the 2023–24 El Niño event, which continued to affect regional climate patterns long after it officially ended.

The report highlights how temperature anomalies of 0.5°C to 1°C above the 1991–2020 average gripped large swathes of the region. Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, and the Philippines all recorded their highest-ever annual temperatures.

In Western Australia, an unprecedented February heatwave saw Carnarvon hit 49.9°C and Geraldton reach 49.3°C—both more than 2°C above their previous records. Emu Creek became the first Australian location to experience four consecutive days above 48°C.

“This contributed to the hottest summer ever recorded in many parts of the South-West Pacific,” the WMO noted, citing heat-related infrastructure stress and health emergencies in vulnerable communities.

The report documents how climate extremes spanned both drought and flooding. El Niño’s dry grip extended across southern Australia, northern New Zealand, and island nations like New Caledonia and the Marshall Islands—some facing their driest periods in three decades.

In contrast, Malaysia, Indonesia, the northern Philippines, and eastern Papua New Guinea witnessed torrential rains, making 2024 one of the wettest years in recent memory in those areas.

A late but aggressive cyclone season in the Philippines saw 12 named storms—double the average—between September and November. Cyclones Trami, Kong-rey, and Usagi inflicted damages exceeding $430 million, devastating coastal communities and raising fears of shifting storm patterns under climate change.

The marine environment also bore the brunt of climate stress. The region’s sea surface temperatures hit record highs, while the ocean heat content matched previous peaks seen in 2021 and 2023.

Most striking was the scale of marine heatwaves—intense, prolonged warming events that can decimate marine ecosystems. In 2024, nearly 40 million sq km of ocean, or over 10 per cent of the global ocean surface, experienced strong to extreme marine heatwaves.

“This is the largest extent ever recorded—comparable in size to all of Asia,” the WMO said.

In Indonesia and western New Guinea, tropical glaciers shrank by up to 50 per cent between 2022 and 2024. If this rate persists, the region could lose all its tropical glaciers by 2026.

Sea-level rise in the South-West Pacific continues to outpace the global average, driven by warming waters and melting ice. Since 1993, the region has seen an annual rise exceeding 3.5 mm, threatening low-lying island states.

In Fiji’s Serua Province, communities are already bearing the brunt—homes and crops destroyed, seawalls breached, and land swallowed by advancing tides.

“Sea-level rise is an existential threat to entire island nations. It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

The WMO report underscores the need for strengthened climate resilience and investment in early warning systems. It highlighted local success stories, including a case study from the Philippines where anticipatory action and strong community engagement helped safeguard lives and cultural assets during extreme weather events.

As the region faces growing climate risks, the report serves as both a stark warning and a rallying cry for collective, urgent global action.