Global temperatures in 2024 exceeded 1.5 Celsius above the pre-industrial era for the first time, bringing the world closer to breaching the pledge governments made under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, scientists said on Friday. The last 10 years are the 10 hottest years on record, the WMO said. Climate change is worsening storms and torrential rainfall because a hotter atmosphere can hold more water, leading to intense downpours. The 1.5C milestone should serve as 'a rude awakening to key political actors to get their act together,' said Chukwumerije Okereke, a professor of climate governance at Britain's University of Bristol.