Local weather-related hazards have killed greater than 2 million individuals in 50 years, stated the UN’s meteorological company, 90 p.c of them in growing international locations.
Revealed On 20 Oct 2025
Practically half of all international locations lack early-warning methods for excessive climate occasions, leaving thousands and thousands – particularly these in growing nations – susceptible.
Because it launched a brand new report on Monday, the UN’s World Meteorological Group (WMO) known as for gaps in international monitoring and forecasting networks to be plugged. Well timed alerts are essential to saving lives as excessive climate occasions multiply as a result of local weather change, it warned.
“Many thousands and thousands of individuals lack safety in opposition to harmful climate, which is inflicting an growing toll on financial belongings and very important infrastructure,” stated a press release by the WMO, noting that disaster-related deaths are six occasions increased in international locations with out early-warning methods.
The organisation stated climate, water and climate-related hazards have killed greater than 2 million individuals prior to now 50 years. It added that 90 p.c of these deaths occurred in growing international locations.
“Impacts are spiralling as climate turns into extra excessive,” it stated.
‘Worst in conflict-affected contexts’
The WMO acknowledged that there was “large progress” in local weather monitoring during the last decade. The variety of international locations utilizing some type of multi-hazard early warning methods has jumped from 52 to at the least 108.
Nevertheless, it continued, an evaluation of 62 international locations confirmed half of them possess solely fundamental capability and 16 p.c have lower than fundamental capability.
“The scenario is worst in fragile, battle and violence-affected contexts,” the organisation stated.
Nonetheless, the WMO is seeing progress in Africa, with extra international locations having functioning web sites and issuing standardised alerts.
“Early warning means early motion. Our aim is to not solely warn the world; it’s to empower it,” WMO Secretary-Common Celeste Saulo stated in a speech because the UN establishment opened its annual convention in Geneva on Monday.
The world has been rocked by quite a few weather-related disasters in 2025. Big flooding has rocked countries including Pakistan, Nigeria and South Korea. Wildfires have devastated giant areas in southern Europe, in addition to the US.
The top of Switzerland’s Federal Division of Dwelling Affairs, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, advised delegates on the convention that no nation or area was spared from the results of local weather change and excessive climate.
She pointed to the instance of how the common monitoring of a mountain glacier allowed scientists to warn about its imminent collapse in Could 2025, permitting for the evacuation of the Swiss village of Blatten.
“Permafrost soften will inevitably result in extra glacier collapses and rockfalls,” making early warning methods very important, she stated.
