Geneva, July 07 (QNA) - The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday of increasing risks to the South-West Pacific due to ocean warming, marine heatwaves, and sea-level rise. 
In its annual report, the WMO stated that the region experienced its second-hottest year on record since 2014, which was characterized by extreme weather events that caused widespread disruption, economic damage, and loss of life.
The report noted that Marine heatwave coverage in 2025 was the most extensive ever recorded in a year without an El Nino event. The rising water temperatures and increased acidity are damaging marine ecosystems, whilst rising sea levels threaten vulnerable coastal communities and low-lying island nations.
Over the period between 1999 and 2025, sea level rose at an average rate of 3.7 millimeters per year in the South-West Pacific region. The remaining tropical ice cover in Papua, Indonesia, is estimated to be only about 2% of the ice area observed in 1988. It is expected to disappear by the end of 2026 or early 2027, according to the report. (QNA)