A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reckons that climate change could expose some 118 million poor Africans to severe drought, flooding and extreme heat by 2030. And as a consequence, the continent could see its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) badly damaged by 2050.

The "AfricaClimateCrisis" document published on Tuesday girded the collaboration of several groups, including the African Union Commission and the Economic Commission for Africa.

"By 2030 it is estimated that close to 118 million extremely poor people (i.e., living on less than $1.90 per day) will be exposed [to those conditions] if adequate response measures are not implemented," wrote Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko.

The Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission said that climate change is hurting the lives of African economies.

The report estimates that African states have already spent large sums of money - between two and nine percent of their GDP - on adapting to climate change, and the cost will rise to $50 billion annually by 2050, even if global warming is kept below 2.°C.

Sub-Saharan Africa, one of the most affected regions, could lose three percent of its GDP by 2050. "This poses a serious challenge for climate adaptation and resilience actions, because not only are physical conditions worsening, but the number of people affected is increasing," he predicted.

Climate change has already begun to leave indelible marks. Among the most recent episodes in sub-Saharan Africa are cyclones Idai and Kenneth, which struck Mozambique in less than 12 months.

But there are other dramatic records as well. According to WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas, the continent suffers from extreme weather and climate events.

East African glaciers are shrinking at high speed and are expected to melt completely "in the near future." And for Taalas, this "signals the threat of an imminent and irreversible change in the Earth system."

The report says glaciers have shrunk to less than 20 percent of their size since 1880. The three mountains that feature glaciers - Mount Kenya Massif in Kenya, the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda, and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are "of eminent tourist and scientific importance," the report says.