Could we exceed 1.5C warming in 2024?

2023 is almost certain to be the warmest year on record but 2024 could be even hotter, according to the Met Office.

There is a chance that global average temperatures could exceed the important climate threshold of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. This is the value set out in the Paris Agreement of 2015, aiming to limit global warming to below 1.5C by the end of the century. US scientists have previously made similar warnings.

The Met Office say, whilst this would not breach the agreement, it would likely be a temporary exceedance and a "milestone in climate history".