State of the Climate in Latin America & the Caribbean 2024
The World Meteorological Organization monitors several climatological indicators such as temperature, precipitation, glacial mass balance and sea level rise to observe and predict the climate at both global and regional levels. The trends of these indicators, as well as key extreme weather and climate events and their impacts on areas like development, food security and migration, are published in annual State of the Climate reports.
The following site is an overview of the State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024. Leer la versión en español aquí .
The Global Context
Before exploring the state of the climate in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is important to first know what the overall global climate looked like in 2024.
Atmospheric concentrations of the three major greenhouse gases (CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O) reached new record highs in 2023 and real-time data indicate that levels continued to increase in 2053.
The global annual mean temperature in 2023 was around 1.55 ± 0.13°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average, making it the warmest year on record.
Ocean heat content in 2024 was the highest on record. Ocean warming and accelerated loss of ice mass from the ice sheets contributed to the rise of the global mean sea level, which also reached a record high in 2024.
The State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean
Temperature Rise
The mean temperature in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024 was +0.90 °C above the 1991–2020 average, making it the warmest or second warmest year on record, depending on the dataset used.
The 1991–2024 period shows the highest temperature trend (about 0.2 °C or higher per decade) since 1900 in the LAC region
Many stations across the region experienced warmer temperatures than normal (1991-2020). Use the map to explore local temperatures.
Precipitation
Rainfall varied throughout the LAC region. Zoom in on the map and click on the points for more information on where rainfall was above and below the 1991-2020 normal.
Glacier Mass
As precipitation patterns change and temperatures rise, glaciers in Latin America have been losing mass.
This has a tremendous impact on the region, as glaciers are important freshwater sources for water consumption, power generation, agriculture and ecosystem conservation.
In 2024, Venezuela became the second country in the world to become completely deglaciated.
Swipe to see the difference between April 2015 (left) and May 2024 (right).
For a better understanding of glacial evolution, the region is divided into zones, the Tropics, the Dry Andes, the Central Andes and the Southern Andes.
Mass loss is expressed in meter water equivalent per year (m.w.e. a-1).
The Tropical Andes constitute more than 95% of the world's tropical glaciers.
In the dry Andes, the longest mass balance series comes from the Echaurren Norte glacier, which lost about 31 m w.e. from 1975 to 2023 (‑0.65 m w.e. per year).
Satellite imagery shows evidence that many glaciers, like the Chacaltaya Glacier, outside of La Paz Bolivia, have completely disappeared.
Sea Surface Temperature
Glaciers aren't the only area affected by rising temperatures. Around 90% of the excess energy that accumulates in the earth system due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases goes into the ocean, changing its temperature at various levels of depth.
Why does sea surface temperature matter in Latin America and the Caribbean?
Sea surface temperature, particularly it's variability in El Niño and La Niña years, has an important role in the global climate system.
El Niño - 2023
Below‑average equatorial sea surface temperature was observed in small regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean in May, signaling the end of El Niño.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)‑neutral conditions began June and continued through September, with near‑average SSTs observed across most of the equatorial Pacific.
Neutral to weak La Niña conditions emerged in December 2024 and were reflected in below‑average sea surface temperature across the central and east‑central equatorial Pacific.
Sea Level Rise
As water warms, it expands. Therefore, as the oceans take up the majority of the excess energy in climate system, their warming contributes to sea level rise.
Globally, the rate of sea level rise has more than doubled since the start of the satellite record, increasing from 2.13 mm per year between 1993-2002 to 4.77 mm per year between 2014-2023.
More than 27% of the population in Latin America and the Caribbean live in coastal areas.
An estimated 6–8% are living in areas that are at high or very high risk of being affected by coastal hazards, such as contaminated freshwater aquifers, eroded shorelines, inundated low-lying areas, and storm surges.
This threat, enhanced by the increasing occurrence of extreme events, is especially important in the case of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
However, it is important to note that sea level isn't rising at the same rate everywhere.
Sea level is not rising uniformly across the region.
In 2024, higher rates of sea‑level rise were observed along the Atlantic side compared to the Pacific side of the region.
Use the maps and text above to help you answer the question!
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Extreme events in LAC in 2024 as reported by WMO Members.
Impacts & Policy
Agriculture & Food Security
Throughout 2024, weather extremes, economic shocks, and conflict/insecurity were the main drivers of acute food insecurity across the region, where conditions remained critical.
The increasing frequency and intensity of droughts, floods and heatwaves, and the increasing intensity of hurricanes, demonstrate the growing risks for agriculture and food security in the region.
The losses of crops and livestock and the interruption of supply chains have significantly affected the availability of food, income and the stability of rural livelihoods.
Use the map below to explore some examples of where food security was impacted in the LAC region.
Honduras
Honduras. Click to expand.
Anomalously high temperatures increased the incidence of plagues and illnesses, generating greater costs for farmers with limited investment capacity. The impact of Tropical Storm Sara in November caused significant losses in agriculture and livestock and damage to production infrastructure, affecting corn, frijol and rice crops, among others.
Guatemala
Guatemala. Click to expand.
56% of producers reported insufficient or scarce water for irrigation due to irregular rainfall associated with El Niño, while 60% of staple grain producers delayed their planting dates. Additionally, 45% of agricultural households experienced a reduction in income compared to the previous year, and 10% had at least one member migrate due to livelihood loss or insufficiency. The departments most affected by drought were El Progreso (78%), Baja Verapaz (76%), Jutiapa (73%) and Jalapa (70%).
El Salvador and Nicaragua
El Salvador and Nicaragua. Click to expand.
Initial droughts followed by intense rains affected the maize areas in the Dry Corridor. In El Salvador, these climatic conditions altered maize production in 2024, with a late onset of May floods and excessive precipitation later in the year that caused floods and landslides in specific regions
Haiti
Haiti. Click to expand.
The number of people experiencing acute food insecurity increased due to climate impacts in combination with violence and economic instability. 48% of the population faced acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+), and floods affected 116602 people in the south of the country and caused important losses in the agricultural and livestock sectors in several southern municipalities. 69% of producers experienced difficulties, especially lack of water. During 2024, the hurricane season in the tropical Atlantic was more active than normal.
Cuba
Cuba. Click to expand.
Hurricanes Oscar and Rafael damaged more than 40 000 hectares of crops, such as cassava plantations, affecting the food supply of 2 million people in Havana.32 In the Dominican Republic, heavy rains and floods associated with these hurricanes put at risk the agricultural livelihoods of 15 000 people in rural areas.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Click to expand.
Hurricane Beryl caused damage estimated at 700 million United States dollars (US$), severely impacting the forestry, fisheries and agricultural sectors and affecting more than 13 000 farmers and fishers.
Colombia
Colombia. Click to expand.
42% of agricultural producers reported lack of rain or water for irrigation as the main climate impact, affecting crops, dairy production and rural livelihoods. The drought, worsened by El Niño, impacted fishing communities and reduced incomes for 63.4% of surveyed households in rural areas linked to the agricultural sector. Wildfires affected 125 000 hectares of grasslands in the Orinoco region, damaging pasturelands used for livestock.
Ecuador
Ecuador. Click to expand.
Prolonged droughts affected several crops in Ecuador, and milk production fell by 20%.
Argentina
Argentina. Click to expand.
The drought conditions experienced in the central region in the spring of 2024 impacted the sowing dates of summer crops, and winter crop yield losses were expected due to rain deficit during the critical period. More than 300 000 hectares of crops and more than four million heads of cattle were at risk.
Brazil
Brazil. Click to expand.
Floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul generated losses estimated at 8.5 billion Brazilian reais (R$) in the agricultural sector; soybeans were the most affected crop, representing between 15% and 16% of the agricultural area for harvest in the state. In farming, the losses amounted to R$ 1.2 billion, with 600 000 hectares of pastures seriously damaged.
Fisheries
Fisheries. Click to expand.
The El Niño event affected marine fisheries in 11 of the 19 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Major Fishing Areas. The impacts differed across geographical areas, target species and types of fishing or aquaculture and were both negative and positive. For example, the 2023 El Niño conditions diminished the habitat and food availability of Peruvian anchoveta, leading to a 50% reduction in landings compared with 2022.
Honduras
Anomalously high temperatures increased the incidence of plagues and illnesses, generating greater costs for farmers with limited investment capacity. The impact of Tropical Storm Sara in November caused significant losses in agriculture and livestock and damage to production infrastructure, affecting corn, frijol and rice crops, among others.
Guatemala
56% of producers reported insufficient or scarce water for irrigation due to irregular rainfall associated with El Niño, while 60% of staple grain producers delayed their planting dates. Additionally, 45% of agricultural households experienced a reduction in income compared to the previous year, and 10% had at least one member migrate due to livelihood loss or insufficiency. The departments most affected by drought were El Progreso (78%), Baja Verapaz (76%), Jutiapa (73%) and Jalapa (70%).
El Salvador and Nicaragua
Initial droughts followed by intense rains affected the maize areas in the Dry Corridor. In El Salvador, these climatic conditions altered maize production in 2024, with a late onset of May floods and excessive precipitation later in the year that caused floods and landslides in specific regions
Haiti
The number of people experiencing acute food insecurity increased due to climate impacts in combination with violence and economic instability. 48% of the population faced acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3+), and floods affected 116602 people in the south of the country and caused important losses in the agricultural and livestock sectors in several southern municipalities. 69% of producers experienced difficulties, especially lack of water. During 2024, the hurricane season in the tropical Atlantic was more active than normal.
Cuba
Hurricanes Oscar and Rafael damaged more than 40 000 hectares of crops, such as cassava plantations, affecting the food supply of 2 million people in Havana.32 In the Dominican Republic, heavy rains and floods associated with these hurricanes put at risk the agricultural livelihoods of 15 000 people in rural areas.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Hurricane Beryl caused damage estimated at 700 million United States dollars (US$), severely impacting the forestry, fisheries and agricultural sectors and affecting more than 13 000 farmers and fishers.
Colombia
42% of agricultural producers reported lack of rain or water for irrigation as the main climate impact, affecting crops, dairy production and rural livelihoods. The drought, worsened by El Niño, impacted fishing communities and reduced incomes for 63.4% of surveyed households in rural areas linked to the agricultural sector. Wildfires affected 125 000 hectares of grasslands in the Orinoco region, damaging pasturelands used for livestock.
Ecuador
Prolonged droughts affected several crops in Ecuador, and milk production fell by 20%.
Argentina
The drought conditions experienced in the central region in the spring of 2024 impacted the sowing dates of summer crops, and winter crop yield losses were expected due to rain deficit during the critical period. More than 300 000 hectares of crops and more than four million heads of cattle were at risk.
Brazil
Floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul generated losses estimated at 8.5 billion Brazilian reais (R$) in the agricultural sector; soybeans were the most affected crop, representing between 15% and 16% of the agricultural area for harvest in the state. In farming, the losses amounted to R$ 1.2 billion, with 600 000 hectares of pastures seriously damaged.
Record‑breaking rainfall also raised river and lagoon levels, particularly impacting Patos Lagoon, Brazil’s largest coastal lagoon and a critical area for biodiversity and fisheries. Small‑scale fishers around Patos Lagoon were severely affected by the floods. Boats, equipment and fishing grounds were destroyed, halting fishing activities. Patos Lagoon supplies 30% of Brazil’s pink shrimp, and the floods caused the operations of supply chains and markets nationwide to be disrupted.
Fisheries
The El Niño event affected marine fisheries in 11 of the 19 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Major Fishing Areas. The impacts differed across geographical areas, target species and types of fishing or aquaculture and were both negative and positive. For example, the 2023 El Niño conditions diminished the habitat and food availability of Peruvian anchoveta, leading to a 50% reduction in landings compared with 2022.
Given this panorama, it is crucial to implement agricultural resilience strategies, anticipate actions, strengthen food systems and prioritize mitigation actions in the face of climate change.
In 2024, renewable energy generation in LAC reached nearly 69% of the region’s energy mix, with renewable energies such as solar and wind experiencing a remarkable 30% increase in capacity and generation compared to 2023.
To advance the expansion and optimization of renewable energy use across LAC, WMO is supporting its Members by enhancing the capacity of NMHSs to develop science‑based operational products and services in collaboration with academia, the private sector and energy stakeholders.
For example, in 2024, an artificial intelligence (AI)‑based short‑term wind speed forecasting product for wind power plants was co‑developed in collaboration with the National Meteorological Institute of Costa Rica (IMN) and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE).
In Chile, an evaporation rate estimation model for large water bodies with floating solar panels was co‑developed in collaboration with the Meteorological Directorate of Chile (DMC), the Ministry of Energy and Diego Portales University.
Overall, 2024 was the warmest or second warmest year on record in Latin America and the Caribbean. Sea levels continued to rise, threatening the continental coastal areas of several Latin American and Caribbean countries and small island developing states.
Storms, floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall led to hundreds of fatalities and billions of US dollars in economic losses across the region. Prolonged drought conditions contributed to negative impacts on several economic sectors in the region, including agriculture, energy, transportation and water supply.
Climate services are pivotal to develop, deliver, and use relevant and reliable climate knowledge to enhance decision-making and action in various sectors. More efforts are needed to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems and climate services for climate adaptation and mitigation.
