Southwest Pacific Faces Unprecedented Marine Heat Challenges

In 2024, an unprecedented heat wave hit the Southwest Pacific, affecting over 10% of the world's ocean surface and threatening the extinction of the region's last tropical glacier, the UN's meteorological agency reported Thursday.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) found that regional temperatures increased by nearly half a degree Celsius above the 1991-2020 average, impacting countries including Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Southeast Asia. New temperature highs were recorded in the Philippines and Australia, bolstering concerns over climate change.

The report also highlighted satellite data, showing Indonesia's sole tropical glacier shrank drastically. Rising sea levels present a significant risk to the region where much of the population lives near coastlines, exacerbating the danger posed by increasing cyclone occurrences.

(With inputs from agencies.)