Earth Experiences Unprecedented 12 Consecutive Months Above 1.5°C Warming Level: Climate Monitor
In a historic development, Earth has encountered 12 consecutive months with temperatures surpassing 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era, according to Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). This alarming milestone, marking the first time on record, serves as a dire "warning to humanity," as scientists underscore the urgency of climate action.
The planet has faced an onslaught of extreme weather events such as storms, droughts, and wildfires, intensified by the El Niño weather phenomenon, resulting in record warming throughout 2023. The trend has persisted into 2024, with C3S confirming that the period from February 2023 to January 2024 witnessed a temperature increase of 1.52 degrees Celsius above the 19th-century benchmark.
This 12-month stretch highlights the potential future impacts, even if global warming can be limited to the crucial 1.5°C threshold outlined in the Paris climate agreement. The need for immediate and substantial reductions in planet-heating emissions is emphasized.
While the breach of the 1.5°C limit is not considered permanent, it signifies a stark warning of the consequences society may face. Johan Rockstrom from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research emphasized the profound social and economic costs associated with reaching the 1.5°C mark, citing heatwaves, droughts, floods, storms, and water scarcity as significant challenges.
Recent months have witnessed a barrage of extreme events globally, including a devastating drought in the Amazon basin, unusually high winter temperatures in southern Europe, and deadly wildfires in Canada and South America.
Rockstrom warned that while temperatures may recede somewhat after the conclusion of the El Niño in the coming months, the world is perilously close to a longer-term breach of the 1.5°C threshold. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had previously projected a likely breach of 1.5°C in the early 2030s.
This unsettling development underscores the imperative for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to prevent further temperature increases. The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that January marked the eighth consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures, with global temperatures in January 2024 being 1.66°C warmer than the January average for the 1850-1900 reference period.
Tim Lenton, an Earth system scientist at the University of Exeter, expressed concern about the heightened risks associated with this level of warming, including potential extinctions, crop failures, and triggering irreversible climate system "tipping points."
The report further highlighted unusual weather patterns, such as an exceptionally dry January in parts of North America, the Horn of Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula, while Chile experienced out-of-control wildfires amid a brutal summer heatwave and drought.
As scientists observe ocean dynamics reaching unprecedented levels in 2023, with sea surface temperatures breaking records, concerns about the impact on global weather patterns and increased moisture in the atmosphere are mounting. The year 2023 is described as a period where "ocean dynamics have simply gone berserk."
The urgency to address climate change and mitigate its consequences has never been more pronounced, as societies grapple with the tangible and escalating impacts of a warming planet.
