Asia-Pacific faces record marine heatwave in 2024, triggering extreme weather and coral bleaching
Asia-Pacific faces record marine heatwave in 2024, triggering extreme weather and coral bleaching
A record-breaking marine heatwave engulfed nearly 40 million square kilometres of ocean across Southeast Asia and the Pacific in 2024—an area five times the size of Australia—according to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) latest State of the Climate report. Driven largely by climate change, the extreme ocean heat triggered a wave of severe weather events, caused widespread coral bleaching, and raised serious concerns about long-term damage to marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
The region was 0.48°C hotter than the 1991–2020 average, with satellite data showing sea levels rising at nearly 4mm per year—well above the global average of 3.5mm. WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo warned that the combination of ocean warming and acidification had inflicted “long-lasting damage” on ecosystems and economies. “Sea-level rise is an existential threat to entire island nations. It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide,” she said.
The extreme heat coincided with multiple disasters across the region, including deadly flooding and landslides in the Philippines that killed 93 people, widespread displacement in Malaysia and Singapore affecting 137,000 people and killing six, flash flooding in Sumatra, and extensive floods in northern Australia. Australia also experienced an unusually early heatwave, with record-high August temperatures, and saw its snow season end abnormally early.
The Philippines was battered by 12 tropical cyclones—twice the national average—causing an estimated US$430 million in damage. Meanwhile, rapid glacier loss in West New Guinea could lead to total ice disappearance by 2026. One of the most devastating consequences of the heat was the fifth mass coral bleaching of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef since 2016, which caused widespread coral death.
Ben Churchill, WMO’s regional director, described the situation as a warning for urgent climate action: “This report shows we’re seeing things we have never seen before.” Climate scientist Assoc. Prof. Alex Sen Gupta noted the unprecedented nature of the heatwave, describing it as part of a global spike in ocean temperatures that began in 2023. “If you go beyond organisms’ temperature thresholds, they either move or die,” he said. The findings highlight the urgent need for global efforts to tackle climate change and protect vulnerable ecosystems.
