According to the World Meteorological Organization’s preliminary assessment, 2015 is likely to be the warmest year globally since records began in 1850. Over the Arctic, the minimum sea ice extent in September 2015 was the fourth lowest on record. Moreover, notable extreme weather events wreaked havoc in many parts of the world in 2015, including heatwaves in India, southern Pakistan, northern Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, southern Australia and many parts of Europe, snow storms in Boston and Worcester of the United States, drought in western North America, South Africa, Russia, southern Chile, Brazil and Indonesia, extreme rainfall and flooding in southern United States, Mexico, southeastern Europe, United Kingdom, Pakistan, China and Argentina, and torrential rain induced by tropical cyclones in southern United States, Myanmar, Japan and Yemen.
