The year 2024 was the hottest on record and the first to top 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. All 10 of the hottest years have been in the past decade

NASA noted that a particularly strong El Niño — a natural climate fluctuation — that began in fall 2023 likely pushed the average temperature up in 2024. Plus, scientists are still studying the effects of events like the January 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption,

For much of central Appalachia, 2024 was a year marked by drought conditions followed by intense, catastrophic rain. For many places it was also the hottest year on record. Scientists say extremes like these are likely symptoms of a changing climate.