This November was the second warmest November on record, confirming expectations that 2024 will be the warmest on record. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Observing Service, global temperatures in November averaged 14.1°C, 0.73° above the 1991-2020 average. Overall, November 2024 was 1.62°C above pre-industrial levels. This makes it the 16th month out of the last 17 when the global average temperature exceeded the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) by 1.5°C.

Research has shown that an area that is nearly a third the size of India has gone from wet lands to arid areas where agriculture is difficult over the past three decades, The Guardian reported on December 9. Drylands now make up 40 percent of all land on Earth, excluding Antarctica. Over the past 30 years, three-quarters of the world's landmass has suffered from drought conditions that are likely to be permanent, according to a study by Science Policy Interface, a group of scientists convened by the United Nations.