State of the Climate in Asia WEATHER CLIMATE WATER 2023 WMO-No. 1350 WMO-No. 1350 © World Meteorological Organization, 2024 The right of publication in print, electronic and any other form and in any language is reserved by WMO. Short extracts from WMO publications may be reproduced without authorization, provided that the complete source is clearly indicated. Editorial correspondence and requests to publish, reproduce or translate this publication in part or in whole should be addressed to: Chair, Publications Board World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 7 bis, avenue de la Paix P.O. Box 2300 CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel.: +41 (0) 22 730 84 03 Email: publications@wmo.int ISBN 978-92-63-11350-4 Cover illustration: Yangtze river, Yunnan Province, China. Source: Adobe Stock NOTE The designations employed in WMO publications and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WMO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WMO in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed in WMO publications with named authors are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of WMO or its Members. B Contents Key messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Global climate context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Regional climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Precipitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Cryosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Sea-surface temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Ocean heat content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sea level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Major climate drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Extreme events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tropical cyclones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Heavy precipitation and flooding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Droughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Heatwaves and wildfires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Marine heatwaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Other extreme events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Climate-related impacts and risks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Mortality and affected population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Status of early warning systems in Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Ea