Extreme glacier melt and record ocean heat levels – which cause water to expand – contributed to an average rise in sea levels of 4.62 millimetres a year between 2013-2022, the United Nations agency said in a. That is about double the pace of the first decade on record, 1993-2002, leading to a total increase of more than 10 centimetres since the early 1990s.
Rising sea levels threaten some coastal cities and the very existence of low-lying states such as the island ofThe annual report, released a day ahead of Earth Day, also showed that sea ice in Antarctica receded to record lows last June and July. Oceans were the warmest on record, with around 58 per cent of their surfaces experiencing a marine heatwave, it said.
Climate scientists have warned that the world could breach a new average temperature record in 2023 or 2024, fuelled by climate change and the anticipated return of warming El Niño conditions.Loading