Slovenia saw record high average temperatures in 2024
Ljubljana, 16 January - Last year was a landmark year for climate globally, breaking records for average temperatures and marking the warmest year since systematic measurements began in the mid-19th century. Slovenia mirrored this global trend, experiencing its warmest year on record, with unusually high rainfall and limited snowfall.
Global estimates, presented in Ljubljana on Thursday by the Environment Agency (ARSO), show that the average temperature in 2024 was about 15.1 degrees Celsius, meaning 1.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
The figure thus for the first time surpassed the critical 1.5 degrees threshold outlined in the Paris Agreement. The warmest day ever recorded, 22 July, saw a global average of 17.6 degrees.
"At the current rate of warming, we will soon reach two degrees Celsius and then, without drastic action, it will be difficult to get back to 1.5 degrees," climatologist Gregor Vertačnik told the press.
In Slovenia, the average temperature in 2024 was 11.3 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees above the 1991-2020 average, with February, July, and August setting monthly temperature records.
"Almost everywhere in Slovenia, last year was the warmest in the past 75 years. It was also the third consecutive record-breaking year. Both 2022 and 2023 saw temperature anomalies of around 1.3 degrees, but last year was an additional half a degree warmer," explained climatologist Katja Kozjek Mihelec.
Since the 1970s, Slovenia has seen a steady temperature rise, accelerating to 0.7 degrees per decade over the last 20 years, she added.
Rainfall ranked the year as the 11th wettest in Slovenia since 1950, with certain months exceeding long-term averages by over 50%. However, snowfall was sparse in line with trends, with significant snow limited to late January.
Slovenian rivers, particularly Alpine systems like the Soča, Sava, and Drava, saw 15% higher water flow on average compared to 1991-2020. The Adriatic Sea also set records, with an average temperature of 18.6 degrees Celsius, 0.6 degrees higher than in 2023 and thereby the highest on record.
Despite the many records, hydrologists did not record a new annual maximum sea temperature last year. It stood at 30.5 degrees Celsius, the fifth highest to date.