Global temperatures may soon push past a record high, with 2024 possibly becoming the world’s hottest year, the BBC reported on Thursday.
El Niño – a natural climate phenomenon marked by warmer-than-average sea surface temperature – has emerged in the Pacific Ocean and will gradually strengthen into the winter, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in an advisory on Thursday.
The phenomenon occurs on average every 2-7 years in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, but El Niño’s impacts on the climate extend far beyond the Pacific Ocean.
According to the NOAA, this can cause warm waters to surface and spread across oceans worldwide, pushing significant heat into the atmosphere.
“El Niño could lead to new records for temperatures, particularly in areas that already experience above-average temperatures,” said climate scientist Michelle L’Heureux, in the advisory.
“Depending on its strength, El Niño can cause a range of impacts, such as increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and droughts in certain locations around the world,” L’ Heureux added.
Scientists fear it will push the world past the warming milestone of 1.5C, affecting global weather conditions and causing anomalies like a weakened monsoon in India, drought conditions in Australia and more rainfall in the southern US.
A family walks with their goats and sheep in search of water during a El Nino-related drought in Marodijeex town of southern Hargeysa, in northern Somalia's semi-autonomous Somaliland region, April 7, 2016. (File photo: Reuters)
Climate experts had been expecting an El Nino event for quite some time now.
“It’s ramping up now, there have been signs in our predictions for several months, but it’s looking like it will peak at the end of this year in terms of its intensity,” Adam Scaife, head of long-range predictions at the UK Met Office, was quoted as saying by the BBC.
“A new record for global temperature next year is definitely plausible. It depends how big the El Niño turns out to be – a big El Niño at the end of this year, gives a high chance that we will have a new record, global temperature in 2024.”
Scientists in the US flag the presence of an El Niño when the ocean temperature is 0.5C hotter than usual for one month, and the atmosphere must be seen responding to the persisting heat.
These conditions were met in the month of May. In a statement, the NOAA said, “El Niño conditions are present.”
“This is a very weak signal. But we believe that we’re starting to see these conditions and that they will continue to intensify,” L’Heureux was quoted as saying by the BBC.
“Our weekly value is actually 0.8C this past week, which is even stronger.”
An El Niño is the most powerful natural phenomenon in the Earth’s climate system.
Some of the famous El Niños in the past have been so strong that entire villages have slid down mountainsides. In 1972-73, ocean temperatures skyrocketed off the Peruvian coast, nearly wiping out Peru’s critical Anchoveta fishing industry. And in 2016, corals were bleached across the Pacific, floods ravaged South America, and drought-fuelled fires ripped across Australia.
Firefighters retreat as flames approach, amid the Grizzly Wildfire Complex, in East Prairie Metis Settlement, Alberta, Canada May 19, 2023 in this still image obtained from social media video. (File photo;Reuters)
Record warm years, including the world’s hottest in 2016, usually happen the year after a powerful El Niño event. There’s also a strong likelihood that this year’s version will push 2024 past 2016 as the world’s hottest year.
History shows that there is always a huge human and economic cost to this forthcoming weather event.
Global temperatures are currently oscillating around 1.1C above the average from 1850-1900.
However, an El Nino could add up to another 0.2C to world temperature, pushing humankind to face weather conditions that have never been encountered before.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies
H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.
During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.
He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.
The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.
At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books
As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”
Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.
Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.
Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.
Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.
Automation
The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.
Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.
US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79
US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.
In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.
He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.
President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.