State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023

Publication

08 May 2024

Key messages

Warmest year on record
Drought, heatwaves, rainfall and floods undermine economic development
Sea level rise threatens coastal areas and glacier retreat accelerates
LAC region lags in providing weather and climate services
Integrated climate and health strategies making progress

The WMO State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023 report confirmed that it was by far the warmest year on record. Sea levels continued to rise at a higher rate than the global average around much of the Atlantic region, threatening coastal areas and small island developing States.

The State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean report, accompanied by an interactive story map, complements the WMO State of the Global Climate flagship. It informs decisions on climate change mitigation, adaptation and risk management at regional level.

The report highlights the need for more investment in National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to strengthen forecasts and life-saving early warnings. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 47% of WMO Members provide only “basic or essential” weather services. Just 6 % provide “full or advanced” services to support decision-making in climate sensitive sectors.

Advances in integrating meteorological data into health surveillance (focusing on disease) reflect a move towards stronger public health strategies. But there is still much room for improvement in view of growing climate-related risks to health. This includes from heatwaves, air pollution, food insecurity and mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever, according to a special chapter in the report.

The report includes input from National Meteorological and Hydrological services, regional climate centres, United Nations partners, universities and research bodies and WMO experts.

Press Release

Other resources

Aerial view of the panama canal with multiple lock gates open, connecting large bodies of water, surrounded by lush greenery and infrastructure.

State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023: Storymap

The Storymap provides an overview of the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023.

State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023: User survey

This survey is intended for users of WMO’s State of the Climate reports as the team looks to improve and renovate the products. It consists of three sections and should take 5-10 minutes to complete. We thank you in advance for your answers, your input is very important to us.

State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2023: Dashboard

The Key Climate Indicators dashboard is a companion to the WMO State of the Climate reports, providing access to the most up to date data available for download.