News Releases

Caribbean Climate Experts Confirm 2024 as Warmest Year on Record

For Release Upon Receipt - August 29, 2025

UWI


The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Wednesday, August 27, 2025—Caribbean climate scientists, led by researchers from The University of the West Indies (The UWI), have confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record for the region since measurements began in 1950.

The findings are detailed in the 2024 State of the Climate  report published by the American Meteorological Society. The report, which tracks global climate conditions each year warns of record-breaking ocean heat, the highest sea levels ever observed, and extreme weather events that caused major damage and loss of life. Widely regarded as the world’s annual climate “health check,” the State of the Climate provides a critical resource for scientists, policymakers, and the public in understanding and responding to the realities of climate change.

The Caribbean section was authored by five UWI experts in collaboration with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and the Meteorological Service of Jamaica. It highlights the region’s average annual temperature of 26.81°C—0.84°C above the 1991–2020 average and confirms that both the December–February and March–May periods also set seasonal records.

The data points to a year marked by heat but also by extreme weather. 2024 ranked as the eighth wettest year since 1950, with average rainfall at 114 percent of normal levels. Severe droughts occurred between March and May in parts of the eastern Caribbean, while hurricanes and floods brought destruction later in the year. Among the most devastating was Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, which impacted Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica, leaving over US$1.4 billion in damages and multiple fatalities.

Lead Caribbean author, Professor Tannecia Stephenson, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology, UWI Mona, is also internationally recognised for her contributions to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report. She noted the importance of the findings: “These findings go beyond record numbers, it’s a scientific record of how climate change is unfolding in our islands, shaping our future and underpins the urgent need for ‘now’ solutions. Small island developing states are at the forefront advocating for drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions so Caribbean scientists are very committed to contributing to these global climate analysis efforts. The data is critical and should urge us toward more proactive actions and strategic collaborations for global and regional responses to climate change.”

Also on the team responsible for analysis and reporting for the Caribbean chapter was Professor Michael Taylor, Professor of Climate Science and Dean, Faculty of Science & Technology, UWI Mona; climate scientists in the Department of Physics, UWI Mona – Dr. Leonardo Clarke, Dr. Jayaka Campbell and Ms. Candice Charlton. The team collaborated with Dr. Cedric Van Meerbeck and Mr. Adrian Trotman of CIMH, also Adjunct Lecturers at The UWI Cave Hill Campus.

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 About The University of the West Indies

The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has played a crucial role in Caribbean development for over 75 years, consistently contributing to the improvement of the well-being of people across the region.

Established in 1948 as a university college of London in Jamaica, with just 33 medical students, UWI has grown into an internationally respected, global university with nearly 50,000 students. Today, it boasts five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda, and its Global Campus, along with international centres in partnership with universities across North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The UWI offers over 1000 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the leading university in the Caribbean, it is home to the largest pool of intellect and expertise in the region, dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing both the Caribbean and the wider world.

Validated by its inclusion in the Times Higher Education (THE) annual rankings since 2018, The UWI has affirmed its position as one of the top universities globally. It stands out as the only English-speaking institution in the Caribbean featured in four of THE's prestigious ranking lists. The World University Rankings evaluate over 2,000 research-focused universities worldwide, while the Golden Age University Rankings highlight institutions established between 50 and 80 years ago. The Latin America Rankings focus specifically on universities within Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, the Impact Rankings assess universities based on their contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This recognition has also springboarded the establishment of The UWI’s International School for Development Justice (ISD), a global online graduate business school aimed at preparing future leaders for sustainable development.

The UWI is an SDG-engaged university consistently recognised among the best in the world. Discover more at www.uwi.edu.

 

 

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