In a stark warning issued on Thursday, scientists revealed that 2023 is set to become the hottest year on record, following an unprecedented summer and extreme temperatures in September.
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), global temperatures from January to September were 1.4°C above the preindustrial average from 1850 to 1900, surpassing the previous record set in 2016 by 0.05°C.
September alone saw an alarming temperature anomaly, with readings 1.75°C higher than the preindustrial norm, marking the most extreme month since 1940.
C3S experts described these anomalies as “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas,” underscoring the severity of the heatwave. The extreme temperatures are driven by the ongoing climate crisis, primarily fueled by fossil fuel emissions.
Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, emphasized the urgent need for ambitious climate action as the world heads toward the COP28 climate conference in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
Urgent climate action is needed as the world faces unprecedented heat and extreme weather events.This critical meeting will address worsening climate impacts and the failure to meet the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.
A recent U.N. report confirmed that the world is off track to meet these goals, with a 1.1°C temperature rise already fueling a surge in extreme weather events. September 2023 was notably the warmest on record in Europe, exceeding previous highs by over 2.5°C.
Additionally, El Niño conditions, which were officially declared in early July, are contributing to the global temperature spike and exacerbating extreme weather. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Pope Francis have both issued dire warnings about the escalating climate crisis, with Guterres describing the situation as humanity having “opened the gates to hell.”
As the climate crisis accelerates, the need for urgent and effective global action has never been more critical.