Asia is warming faster than the global average, with the warming trend almost doubled since the 1961–1990 period. Consequently, Asia has remained the world’s most disaster-hit region from weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023. Floods and storms caused the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, whilst the impact of heatwaves became more severe, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report has highlighted the accelerating rate of key climate change indicators such as surface temperature, glacier retreat and sea level rise, which will have major repercussions for societies, economies and ecosystems in the region. The report provides the status of key climate indicators and latest data and information on impacts, risks and policy from United Nations agencies.
A total of 79 disasters associated with hydro-meteorological hazard events were reported in Asia during 2023, according to the Emergency Events Database. Of these, over 80% were related to flood and storm events, with more than 2 000 fatalities and nine million people directly affected. Despite the growing health risks posed by extreme heat, heat-related mortality is frequently not reported.
The annual mean near-surface temperature over Asia in 2023 was the second highest on record, 0.91 °C [0.84 °C–0.96 °C] above the 1991–2020 average and 1.87 °C [1.81 °C–1.92 °C] above the 1961–1990 average. Particularly high average temperatures were recorded from western Siberia to central Asia and from eastern China to Japan. Japan and Kazakhstan each had record warm years.
In India, severe heatwaves in April and June resulted in about 110 reported fatalities due to heatstroke. A major and prolonged heatwave affected much of South-East Asia in April and May, extending as far west as Bangladesh and Eastern India, and north to southern China, with record-breaking temperatures. Japan experienced its hottest summer on record while China experienced 14 high temperature events in summer, with about 70% of national meteorological stations exceeding 40℃ and 16 stations breaking their temperature records.
Precipitation was below normal in large parts of the Turan Lowland (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan); the Hindu Kush (Afghanistan, Pakistan); the Himalayas; around the Ganges and lower course of the Brahmaputra Rivers (India and Bangladesh); the Arakan Mountains (Myanmar); and the lower course of the Mekong River. Southwest China suffered from a drought, with below-normal precipitation levels nearly every month of 2023, and the rains associated with the Indian Summer Monsoon were below average.
In 2023, over 80% of reported hydrometeorological hazards in Asia were flood and storm events, according to EM-DAT data. Specifically, floods were the leading cause of death in reported events in 2023 by a substantial margin. In India, Yemen, and Pakistan, floods were the natural hazard event which caused the greatest number of fatalities, highlighting the continuing high level of vulnerability of Asia to natural hazard events, especially floods.
Snow cover extent over Asia in 2023 was slightly less than the 1998–2020 average. Twenty out of 22 observed glaciers in the High Mountain Asia region showed continued mass loss. Record-breaking high temperature and dry conditions in the East Himalaya and most of the Tien Shan exacerbated mass loss for most glaciers. During the period 2022–2023, Urumqi Glacier No. 1, in Eastern Tien Shan, recorded its second highest negative mass balance since measurements began in 1959.
The sea surface in the areas of the Kuroshio current system (west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin), the Arabian Sea, the Southern Barents Sea, the Southern Kara Sea, and the South-Eastern Laptev Sea is warming more than three times faster than the globally averaged sea surface temperature. Marine heatwaves – prolonged periods of extreme heat that affect the ocean – occurred in a large area of the Arctic Ocean, in the Eastern Arabian Sea and the Northern Pacific, and lasted three to five months.
In 2023, a total of 17 named tropical cyclones formed over the western North Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. Several extreme precipitation events took place and floods and storm events resulted in more than 600 reported deaths across India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
This report is the 4th edition of climate reports published annually for this region and was one of a series of WMO regional State of the Climate reports released during the 80th session of the Commission in Bangkok, Thailand. It is based on input from National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, United Nations partners and a network of climate experts. It addresses specific physical science, socio-economic and policy aspects that are relevant to Asia and responds to Members needs in the fields of climate monitoring, climate change and climate services.
Source: WMO Press Release
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