Dying glaciers, record-breaking hurricanes and wildfires, debilitating drought and deadly floods scarred the socio-economic landscape of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024, inflicting major damage long after the headlines faded, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The State of the Climate for Latin America and the Caribbean 2024 highlights the mounting toll of weather, climate and water extremes on lives, livelihoods and food supply chains in a region which is no stranger to poverty and insecurity.
"In 2024, weather and climate impacts cascaded from the Andes to the Amazon, from crowded cities to coastal communities, causing major economic and environmental disruptions. Drought and extreme heat fuelled devastating wildfires. Exceptional rainfall triggered unprecedented flooding, and we saw the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
It was the warmest or second warmest year on record, depending on the dataset used. Glaciers were a very visible casualty of the rising temperatures with the disappearance of Humboldt, its last remaining glacier, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela became the second country in the world to lose all its glaciers.
"But there is also hope. Early warnings and climate services from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) are saving lives and increasing resilience throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The work of the WMO community and all our partners is more important than ever to meet challenges and seize opportunities," said Celeste Saulo.
Another bright light in another bleak report was the increasingly important role of renewable energy - at nearly 69% of the region's energy mix. Solar and wind experienced a remarkable 30% increase in capacity and generation compared to 2023.
WMO is enhancing the capacity of NMHSs to support renewable energy development and integration through artificial intelligence based wind forecasting, solar and wind atlases and climate services, in collaboration with national and regional partners.
The State of the Climate for Latin America and the Caribbean report was released at a WMO Regional Association meeting hosted by El Salvador to inform decisions on climate change mitigation, adaptation and risk management at regional level.
Accompanied by an interactive story map and an extreme events dashboard, it complements the WMO State of the Global Climate flagship report , which was released on 19 March.
It incorporates input from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, UN and regional partners, research and academia and individual experts.
