New Data Shows 2023 On Track to Break Record for Hottest Year Yet
As the year 2023 comes to an end, new climate data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reveals that the global average temperature of the planet continues to climb. The data indicates that average temperatures from January to October 2023 are 1.43 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, making it “virtually certain” to be the hottest year in observational history.
Climate experts warn that the current temperature is alarmingly close to the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold marked by significant challenges for people worldwide. The average temperature in 2023 is also .10 degrees Celsius higher than the 10-month average for 2016, which is the current record holder for the warmest year.
According to Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, the data has made it clear that “2023 will be the warmest year on record,” emphasizing the urgent need for ambitious climate action ahead of COP28.
The risks associated with rising temperatures are already evident. Recent months have seen extreme and deadly heat waves across the globe, with October now holding the record for the warmest October ever recorded. Not only has October seen record warmth in the atmosphere, but it has also driven sea surface temperatures to higher averages, disrupting the levels of Antarctic sea ice and fueling hurricanes.
The ocean, which absorbs 90% of the Earth’s warming, continues to play a major role in driving climate-related disasters. As a result, the recent surge in warm temperatures poses greater risks to inhabitants of coastal areas and increases in climate-related disasters.
The World Meteorological Organization’s warning in May 2023 that the planet will likely have its hottest year soon confirms current data trends. Notably, with the return of the El Niño climate pattern and its tendency to warm the Pacific Ocean, climate extremes such as heatwaves, precipitation, and droughts have intensified across the globe.
To address the intensified climate crisis, the United Nations is hosting COP28, aiming to engage global stakeholders in devising solutions to mitigate the impacts of global warming. It is increasingly clear that urgent action is critical to addressing the profound risks and disruptions that climate change poses to the world.
