The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, warned that the world is entering a new reality where climate anomalies have become the norm, and called on leaders at the COP31 conference in Turkey to 'take the situation seriously.'
In his statement, the UN Secretary-General noted that 'super strong El Niño is confronting a planet already overheated by anthropogenic climate change,' emphasizing that humanity has entered a new era of climate extremes.
During the gathering of leaders in Antalya for the UN climate summit, Guterres strongly urged them to 'take the issue seriously,' demanding accelerated emissions reductions, support for a just transition away from fossil fuels, as well as financial assistance and protection for vulnerable countries.
These statements came against the backdrop of the publication of a report by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which showed that in 2026, a series of exceptional global temperatures, ice melt, and sea-level rise continued.
The agency reported that each of the last 12 years was among the 12 hottest on record, and it is expected that the current year will also be included in this list.
WMO Head Celeste Saulo told reporters in Geneva that the observed situation has new significance for expressions 'beyond the charts,' cautioning that the current exceptionally strong El Niño could cause even more heat and extreme weather events over the next year.
She added that preparation should be made for another record year in 2027. According to WMO data, the average global surface temperature from January to September this year was about 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
This year's El Niño, which is expected to be the strongest since 1950, is forecast to push this figure higher by the end of the year. Preliminary data shows that 2026 is among the four hottest years in history, and John Kennedy, WMO Climate Information Head, noted that 'with the development of El Niño we may see that we are close to the peak when final figures are obtained.'
Saulo specified that this natural phenomenon releases heat from the ocean, and the waters this year are the warmest ever recorded. El Niño is declared when sea surface temperature exceeds the average by half a degree in the tropical Pacific, but the WMO forecasts that from now until January it could exceed the average temperature by 3.8°C.
Furthermore, the WMO reported record sea levels, freshwater depletion, and the ongoing long-term retreat of glaciers. In 2025, the annual ice loss was enough to fill five Olympic swimming pools every second.
Saulo warned that because 'we are intensifying our weather, and El Niño will be a risk multiplier,' heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and downpours are intensifying faster than historical baselines allowed. Nevertheless, the WMO noted a significant increase in the number of countries with necessary multi-hazard early warning systems, rising from 55 in 2015 to 136 last year.
The organization called on COP31 to ensure more investment in permanent global monitoring, data collection, and forecasting necessary for these systems to function. Saulo concluded: 'We cannot afford to fly blind.'
