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Nearly even odds of 1.5 degrees by 2026

Within the next five years the world has an almost 50-50 chance of temporarily surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold, WMO reported.

Major floods in Australia overtake a bridge at Windsor, New South Wales in March
Major floods in Australia overtake a bridge at Windsor, New South Wales in March (AN/Vince Basile)

GENEVA (AN) — Within the next five years the world has an almost 50-50 chance of temporarily surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius in warming beyond pre-industrial levels that the 2015 Paris Agreement aims to prevent, the World Meteorological Organization reported on Monday.

WMO said in a new climate update there is a 48% chance the world's annual average temperature between now and 2026 will be 1.5 degrees above the 19th century's pre-industrial levels — and a 93% likelihood that at least one of these years will also be the warmest ever. The record year remains 2016.

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