UN report: 2023 "virtually certain" to be hottest year on record

Details: Based on data until October, it is "virtually certain" that this year will be the warmest in the 174-year observational record.

• It will surpass the previous warmest years of 2016 and 2020, as the final two months of the year are very unlikely to affect the ranking, per the agency.

Of note: The global temperature tracking agencies have yet to proclaim it officially, but are virtually certain to do so.

Zoom out: The past nine years, 2015 to 2023, were the warmest on record, and the warming El Niño event is likely to keep fueling the heat in 2024, per the WMO.

What they're saying: WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas said in a statement that greenhouse gas, global temperatures and sea level rise are all at a record high, while Antarctic sea ice is at a record low.

• "It's a deafening cacophony of broken records," he said. "Extreme weather is destroying lives and livelihoods on a daily basis – underlining the imperative need to ensure that everyone is protected by early warning services."

Go deeper: COP28: Here are the key developments to watch