The hottest year on record sparks fears of a ‘dangerous new era’

“There’s no ‘Get Out of Climate Change Free’ card” – experts warn rising temperatures could bring faster wildfires, bigger storms and more heatwaves and drought.

A plume of smoke rises from the Palisades Fire on Friday. AP

David Gelles and Austyn Gaffney

Jan 12, 2025 – 11.14am

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As Los Angeles burned for days on end, horrifying the nation, scientists made an announcement on Friday that could help explain the deadly conflagration: 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history.

The firestorms ravaging the country’s second-largest city are just the latest spasm of extreme weather that is growing more furious as well as more unpredictable. Wildfires are highly unusual in Southern California in January, which is supposed to be the rainy season. The same is true for cyclones in Appalachia, where Hurricanes Helene and Milton shocked the country when they tore through mountain communities in October.