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2024 had the hottest January on record
The global temperatures were 1.66 Celsius above the average during pre-industrial times, according to a monthly report.
People occupy the Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, Spain January 25, 2024 REUTERS/Eva Manez
The planet continues to experience an extraordinary warmth that initially emerged last summer, extending its persistence into 2024. The European Union climate monitor declared last month as the hottest January ever recorded. Additionally, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that it was the warmest January on record for the oceans, with sea surface temperatures just marginally lower than those in August 2023, the warmest month previously documented. Sea temperatures continued to rise in early February, surpassing the daily records set last August.
January is the eight consecutive month exceeding historical records
The oceans, acting as a reliable indicator of global warming due to their absorption of the majority of extra heat from greenhouse gases, play a crucial role. The warmer oceans not only contribute to the intensity of hurricanes and atmospheric river storms but also disrupt marine life.
January marked the eighth consecutive month where average air temperatures across continents and seas exceeded all historical records for that time of year. Overall, 2023 stood out as the hottest year on Earth in over 150 years.
The primary driver of this prolonged warmth is attributed to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, escalating temperatures for more than a century. The ongoing El Niño weather cycle further releases ocean heat into the atmosphere. Despite scientists identifying these factors, the specific reasons for the recent prolonged and intense heat remain a subject of debate, with researchers awaiting additional data to explore less predictable factors at play.
There is an urgent need for cutting the gas emissions
Samantha Burgess, Copernicus’s deputy director, underlined the urgent need for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to halt the escalating global temperatures. Copernicus’s data highlighted that January temperatures were significantly above average in eastern Canada, northwestern Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, while parts of South America experienced warmer-than-normal and dry conditions, contributing to devastating forest fires in central Chile.
Three new levels of ocean heat, introduced
The recent intensity of underwater heat waves led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of USA to introduce three new levels to its ocean heat alerts system, indicating potential coral bleaching or mortality.
The current El Niño pattern observed in the Pacific is linked to warmer global temperatures and various effects on regional rainfall and temperatures. However, as human-induced warming alters traditional expectations, the once-predictable impacts of El Niño on local temperatures are now less certain.
