GENEVA, Switzerland (CMC)—The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Friday that extreme weather and climate impacts had a damaging toll on Latin America and the Caribbean last year, resulting in dying glaciers, record-breaking hurricanes, debilitating droughts, and deadly floods.

The WMO has released a new report titled “The State of the Climate for Latin America and the Caribbean”, highlighting positive developments amid the bleak news, such as the growing role of renewable energy in the region and the power of early warning systems to save lives.

“In 2024, weather and climate impacts cascaded from the Andes to the Amazon, from crowded cities to coastal communities, causing major economic and environmental disruptions,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“Drought and extreme heat fuelled devastating wildfires. Exceptional rainfall triggered unprecedented flooding, and we saw the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record,” she added.

The new report also reveals that 2024 was the warmest or second-warmest year on record, depending on the dataset used.

It found that rising temperatures led to the disappearance of the Humboldt Glacier, the last one standing in Venezuela, which became the second country in the world after Slovenia to lose all its glaciers in the modern era.

Meanwhile, El Niño conditions in the first half of the year influenced rain patterns. Wildfires in the Amazon and Pantanal, as well as in central Chile, Mexico and Belize, were driven by drought and extreme heatwaves, breaking records in many countries. Wildfires in Chile resulted in over 130 deaths – the country’s worst disaster since the February 2010 earthquake.

Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul became Brazil’s worst climate-related disaster, causing billions in economic losses to the agricultural sector.

While timely warnings and evacuations helped mitigate the impacts of the flooding, WMO said more than 180 fatalities were reported, thus highlighting the need to improve understanding around disaster risks among both authorities and the general public.

“But there is also hope,” Saulo insisted, pointing to bright spots in the report.

She said early warnings and climate services from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) are saving lives and increasing resilience throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Moreover, renewable energy accounts for nearly 69 per cent of the energy mix. Solar and wind energy experienced a remarkable 30 per cent increase in capacity and generation compared to 2023, WMO said.

The UN weather agency and partners are also assisting national meteorological and hydrological services to support renewable energy development and integration through artificial intelligence-based wind forecasting and other measures.

The State of the Climate for Latin America and the Caribbean report was issued at a WMO Regional Association meeting hosted by El Salvador to inform decisions on climate change mitigation, adaptation and risk management at the regional level.

It complements the State of the Global Climate flagship report that was issued last week.