Caribbean climate scientists have confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record for the region since measurements began in 1950, according to the University of the West Indies.
In 2024, they found, the region’s average annual temperature was 26.81 degrees Celsius — 0.84 degree above the 1991-2020 average. The December-to-February and March-to-May periods also set seasonal records.
The findings, compiled by a regional team led by UWI researchers, are included in the 2024 State of the Climate report published by the American Meteorological Society. The report, which annually tracks global climate conditions, warns of record-breaking ocean heat, the highest sea levels ever observed, and extreme weather events that caused serious damage and loss of life.
Widely regarded as the world’s annual climate “health check,” the report provides a comprehensive resource for scientists, policymakers, and the public in understanding and responding to climate change, according to UWI.
The Caribbean section was authored by five UWI experts in collaboration with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the Meteorological Service of Jamaica.
Extreme weather
Last year was also marked by extreme weather, ranking as the eighth wettest year since 1950, with average rainfall at 114 percent of normal levels.
Despite the rains, severe droughts also occurred between March and May in parts of the eastern Caribbean, while hurricanes and floods brought destruction later in the year.
Among the most devastating storms was Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, which impacted countries including Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica, leaving more than $1.4 billion in damages and multiple fatalities, according to UWI.
‘Beyond record numbers’
The lead Caribbean author of the study was Tannecia Stephenson, the deputy dean on the Faculty of Science and Technology at UWI Mona in Jamaica.
“These findings go beyond record numbers: It’s a scientific record of how climate change is unfolding in our islands, shaping our future and [underpinning] the urgent need for ‘now’ solutions,” said Ms. Stephenson, who also contributed to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report.
She added that small island developing states have taken a lead in advocating for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, with Caribbean scientists contributing to global climate analysis efforts.
“The data is critical and should urge us toward more proactive actions and strategic collaborations for global and regional responses to climate change,” she said.
The scientists
Also on the Caribbean team were UWI climate scientists Michael Taylor, Leonardo Clarke, Jayaka Campbell and Candice Charlton.
The team collaborated with Cedric Van Meerbeck and Adrian Trotman, adjunct lecturers at The UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados.
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