Earth hits critical warming threshold for first time
On November 17, the Earth passed a crucial global warming limit, at least briefly. Preliminary data reveals that, for the first time, the global temperatures averaged over 2-degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Recent analyses show that 2023 will likely see average global temperatures 1.3- to 1.4-degrees higher than preindustrial levels. Climate experts have warned that global warming exceeding 1.5-degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial levels will cause extreme climate events that people will not be able to adapt to.
Record-setting global temperatures
Friday's worldwide temperatures reached 1.17-degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average, setting a new record, announced Samantha Burgess, the Deputy Director of the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. This indicates that the average global temperature was 2.06-degrees Celsius higher than the preindustrial reference period of 1850-1900. The estimate is derived from a European model that employs observations akin to weather forecasts to approximate global climate conditions almost instantly.
2023 likely to be the hottest year on record
The temporary breach of the 2-degree warming threshold underscores a series of temperature records established in recent months. Global temperatures broke records in July, August, September, and October, with the pattern persisting into November. Scientists assert that 2023 is highly likely to overtake 2016 as the hottest year on record and could signify one of the warmest periods in 125,000 years.
El Nino and accelerating planetary warming
In the upcoming months, planetary warming is anticipated to intensify due to a strengthening El Nino climate pattern. El Nino contributes to weather extremes and elevates global temperatures by releasing heat from the Pacific Ocean into the atmosphere. However, the influx of El Nino-driven warmth typically occurs after the climate pattern reaches its peak, which is predicted to happen this winter. Consequently, scientists anticipate that such record warmth will not be experienced until 2024.
