Asia’s rapid warming drives record heat waves, floods and glacier loss 

Asia is heating up almost twice as fast as the global average, fueling unprecedented heatwaves, marine heat events, glacial retreat and extreme flooding, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned in its State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report released on Monday.

According to the WMO, 2024 ranked as either the warmest or second-warmest year on record across Asia, with average temperatures soaring about 1.04 °C above the 1991–2020 baseline. Heatwaves swept across East, Southeast and Central Asia from spring through autumn, shattering monthly temperature records in Japan, South Korea and China, while Myanmar recorded a historic high of 48.2 °C.

The continent’s surrounding seas also experienced unprecedented warming. 

Sea surface temperatures in the northern Arabian Sea and the Northwest Pacific climbed at nearly double the global rate—0.24 °C per decade—driving marine heatwaves that affected some 15 million km² of ocean in August and September alone. 

Coastal regions face mounting sea-level rise, with the waters bordering the Indian and Pacific Oceans rising faster than the global mean.

High-Mountain Asia—the “Third Pole” comprising glaciers in the Himalayas and Tian Shan—suffered dramatic ice losses. 

Of 24 monitored glaciers, 23 recorded net mass loss in 2023–24, exacerbated by reduced winter snowfall and blistering summer heat. 

Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in eastern Tian Shan, in Central Asia, marked its lowest mass balance since measurements began in 1959, heightening risks of glacial lake outburst floods and regional water insecurity.

Extreme precipitation events compounded the crisis: Central Asia endured its worst floods in seven decades, displacing more than 118,000 people, while severe monsoon downpours triggered deadly landslides in India’s Kerala state. 

Late-season storms in Nepal claimed at least 246 lives and caused nearly $94 million in damages, though strengthened early-warning systems and anticipatory action helped protect over 130,000 residents. Conversely, drought in China left 4.8 million people without water for irrigation and inflicted over $400 million in agricultural losses.

“The State of the Climate in Asia report highlights shifts in key indicators—surface temperature, glacier mass and sea level—that will have profound repercussions for societies, economies and ecosystems,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. 

She emphasized the critical role of national meteorological agencies and their partners in delivering early warnings and safeguarding vulnerable communities.

The report underscores the urgency for regional cooperation on climate adaptation and mitigation. 

As Asia faces intensifying climatic extremes, strengthening resilience through improved forecasting, infrastructure investment and sustainable resource management will be paramount to protecting lives and livelihoods across the world’s fastest-warming continent.