Asia hit hard by warming and extreme weather

Rituraj Phukan

Asia, home to more than half of the world’s population and stretching from the equator to the Arctic, stands on the frontlines of a climate emergency that is unfolding in real-time.

The World Meteorological Organization’s latest State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report paints a stark portrait of a continent in flux.

It says that 2024 was the warmest or second warmest year on record (depending on the dataset), with widespread and prolonged heatwaves. The warming trend between 1991–2024 was almost double that during the 1961–1990 period.

Asia is currently warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, fuelling more extreme weather and wreaking a heavy toll on the region’s economies, ecosystems and societies.Countries around the continent are hotter, wetter, and more vulnerable than ever before.Asia recorded its warmest or second-warmest year since records began, depending on the dataset.

Heatwaves became a suffocating norm from April through November, shattering monthly temperature records across East Asia. Japan, South Korea, and China all experienced an alarming string of broken records, while Myanmar faced an unprecedented 48.2°C. The region’s warming trend from 1991 to 2024 has nearly doubled that of the previous three decades, a fiery testament to our changing times.

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It wasn’t just the land that sweltered, heatwaves gripped a record area of the ocean. Sea surface temperatures were the highest on record, with Asia’s sea surface decadal warming rate nearly double the global average.n August and September alone, 15 million square kilometers of oceanreeled under marine heatwaves of strong to extreme intensity.

For coastal nations, this meant more than hot waters. Sea levels rose higher than the global average, threatening megacities and low-lying communities alike with saltwater intrusion, erosion, and displacement.

The effects on the glaciers of Asia were equally grim. In the High-Mountain Asia region, 23 of 24 monitored glaciers lost mass. Central Himalayas and Tian Shan glaciers suffered especially due to minimal snowfall and intense summer heat. Urumqi Glacier No.1, a climate sentinel since 1959, recorded its worst-ever mass loss. This loss doesn’t just threaten ecosystems; it imperils the water security of millions who depend on glacial melt for survival.

Extreme weather events added fresh layers of urgency. Tropical Cyclone Yagi tore through Southeast Asia, displacing thousands and leaving destruction in its wake. Floods ravaged Central Asia, triggered by snowmelt and heavy rainfall, forcing 118,000 people to evacuate in Kazakhstan and southern Russia. In India, over 350 lives were lost in Kerala after intense rainfall caused deadly landslides.

Nepal’s September floods, caused by record-breaking rainfall, claimed 246 lives and led to damages exceeding US $94 million—though timely early warning systems saved many more. On the other side of the spectrum, drought in China scorched 335,200 hectares of farmland and affected nearly five million people, racking up over US $400 million in damages.

The report makes it clear that climate change is no longer a distant threat or a scientific projection—it’s a lived reality. As WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized, the toll is already “unacceptably high.” But amid the crisis, glimmers of resilience shine through. A case study from Nepal showed that coordinated early warning systems and anticipatory action helped communities mitigate damage, proving that investment in preparedness can save lives and livelihoods.

These sobering findings, drawn from a vast network of experts and institutions are warnings that need the urgent attention of policymakers. Asia is heating, flooding, drying, and melting at a pace that outstrips global averages. The continent is no longer adapting to climate change; it is grappling with its full force. The question that remains is not whether action is needed, but whether it will come fast enough.

Rituraj Phukan: Founder, Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum; Co-Founder, Smily Academy ;National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Reality Project India; Member, IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group; Commission Member – IUCN WCPA Climate Change, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation, IUCN WCPA Indigenous People and Protected Areas Specialist Groups, IUCN WCPA South Asia Region and IUCN WCPA-SSC Invasive Alien Species Task Force; Member, International Antarctic Expedition 2013; Climate Force Arctic 2019 ; Ambassador, Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary. Rituraj Phukan is the Climate Editor, Mahabahu.

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