This year is poised to be the warmest in recorded history, as November becomes the sixth consecutive month to break records, as reported by Europe’s climate monitor.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union revealed that November exceeded the previous record for the month, leading to a global average temperature for 2023 that is 1.46 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
This confirmation follows earlier warnings throughout the year that 2023 had the potential to surpass 2016 as the hottest year, supported by record-breaking temperatures observed in September and October.
In November, there were two days when temperatures exceeded 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, an occurrence unprecedented in the past.
Samantha Burgess, deputy head of the Copernicus service, highlighted that 2023 has witnessed “six record-breaking months and two record-breaking seasons.”
The extraordinary global temperatures observed in November, along with the two days surpassing 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, affirm 2023 as the warmest year in recorded history.
Scientists, utilizing data from ice cores and tree rings, propose that this year may be the warmest in over 100,000 years.
The declaration of this record-breaking year aligns with the COP28 talks in Dubai, where representatives from nearly 200 countries are deliberating on the final draft of an agreement in response to a critical assessment of progress in curtailing global warming.
A central theme in the discussions revolves around the future of oil, gas, and coal, which are the primary contributors to human-induced climate change.
The draft text, anticipated to undergo updates on Wednesday, will remain under discussion throughout the COP28 talks, set to conclude on December 12.
At the same time, 2023 has experienced a series of extreme weather events associated with climate change, despite the ongoing increase in global carbon emissions.
Copernicus highlights that the initial 11 months of 2023 have been 0.13 degrees Celsius warmer than in 2016, the previously recorded warmest year.
While the El Niño weather pattern has played a role in the recent increase in global temperatures, the latter half of 2023 has witnessed fewer anomalies compared to 2015-2016.
The period from September to November, marking autumn in the northern hemisphere, has set a record as the hottest on record, with November alone registering a temperature 1.75 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels.
These figures indicate that the world is nearing the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold outlined in the Paris climate agreement, underscoring the imperative for immediate and comprehensive global climate action.
