"Climate change has exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events, profoundly affecting societies, economies and, most importantly, human lives and the environment in which we live," said the head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Last year was the warmest on record globally and Celeste Saulo highlighted that Asia is warming faster than the global average, with temperatures in 2023 nearly 2°C above the 1961-1990 average.

The impacts of heatwaves are becoming increasingly severe across the Asian continent, the WMO said in a statement, adding that the melting of glaciers, particularly in the Himalayas, threatens water security in the region.

"The findings of the report are alarming," said Celeste Saulo.

She said that many countries in Asia experienced "a cascade of extreme events in 2023, from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms".

The report highlighted the accelerated pace of key climate change indicators such as sea surface temperatures and sea level rise, warning of severe impacts on societies, economies and ecosystems in the region.

Precipitation was below average in the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush mountain ranges, Pakistan and Afghanistan, while southwestern China experienced drought conditions, with precipitation levels below average in almost every month of the year.

In High Mountain Asia, centred on the Tibetan Plateau, which holds the largest volume of ice outside the polar regions, 20 out of 22 glaciers monitored have shown continuous mass loss.

Sea surface temperatures in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in 2023 were the highest on record, the report said.

Last year, 79 disasters associated with meteorological and hydrological hazards were reported in Asia. More than 80% were floods and storms, which caused more than two thousand deaths and directly affected nine million people.

"Flooding was by far the deadliest type of event reported in 2023," the WMO said, noting Asia's continued high levels of vulnerability to natural hazard events.

On 7 September, following the passage of a typhoon, Hong Kong recorded 158.1 millimetres of rainfall in one hour, the highest since records began in 1884.

"It is imperative that our actions and strategies reflect the urgency of the moment," Saulo urged.

"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change are fundamental imperatives," she warned.

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