Sea level rises in the Pacific Ocean are outstripping the global average, a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) report showed on Tuesday, imperiling low-lying island states. Globally, sea level advances are accelerating as higher temperatures driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels melt once-mighty ice sheets, while warmer oceans cause water molecules to expand. But even compared to the global average rate rise of 3.4 millimetres a year over the past three decades, the WMO report showed that the average annual increase was “significantly higher” in two measurement areas of the Pacific, north and east of Australia.