State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2023
Abstract
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2023 report details how sea level rise in the region is above the global average. Sea surface temperatures have risen three times faster than the global average since 1980. During that time marine heatwaves have approximately doubled in frequency since 1980 and are more intense and are lasting longer. The report was prepared in cooperation with National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and other United Nations agencies and international partners. It also looks at climate drivers in 2023 – including the last El Niño event – temperature, precipitation and extreme events like tropical cyclones, drought and extreme heat in the region.
