The average global temperature was estimated to be 1.7C higher than late 1800s levels last month, making it the hottest October since records have been kept.
Before this month’s historic climate summit, scientists have declared that 2023 will go down in history as the hottest year on record. Samantha Burgess, the deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, stated that 2023 will be the warmest year on record and that it is currently 1.43C above the pre-industrial average. “There has never been a greater sense of urgency for bold climate action leading up to Cop28.”With temperatures 1.7C higher than what was assumed to have been the typical October in the late 1800s, Copernicus scientists discovered last month that it was the hottest October on record worldwide.
After the Industrial Revolution, humans have increased the planet’s temperature by 1.2C by releasing heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of the natural world. The scientists discovered that October 2023 had the second-highest global temperature anomaly in their dataset, only surpassed by the previous month.
“Record human suffering is a result of this year’s record heatwave,” Imperial College London climate scientist Friederike Otto stated. “This year, thousands of people have died as a result of severe heatwaves and droughts that were made much worse by the extremely high temperatures. Others have been displaced and lost their livelihoods.” These are the important records.
Because of this, “the Paris Agreement is a human rights treaty, and failing to uphold its objectives is a massive violation of human rights.” Leaders from around the world pledged eight years ago at a summit in Paris to attempt to halt global warming by 1.5C by the end of the century. However, the policies in place are designed to raise the temperature by roughly 2.4C.Meteorologist Akshay Deoras of the University of Reading stated: “Another regrettable example of how temperature records are being shattered by a humongous margin is the scorching October of 2023. El Niño in the tropical Pacific Ocean and rising greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming, which is severely impacting the planet.
Scientists were astounded by the record heat last month. The extreme temperatures are anticipated to have been caused by a combination of factors such as a decrease in sulphur pollution, a volcanic eruption in Tonga, and the return of El Niño, a natural weather pattern.
Although El Niño conditions were still developing, according to Copernicus, the temperature anomalies were not as high as they were during the previous two strong events in 1997 and 2015.”The fact that the world temperature since June 2023 is significantly higher than it was in the second half of 2015, when El Niño was much stronger, is frightening,” Deoras said. “It won’t be surprising to see new records in the coming months as our planet continues to pass unfortunate milestones in its meteorological history.
“The World Meteorological Organisation stated on Wednesday that at least April 2024 is when the current El Niño is predicted to end. Experts predict that 2024 will likely be even hotter because El Niño effects usually manifest a year after they form.
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Between January and October 2023, Copernicus discovered that the average global mean temperature was the highest ever recorded. It was 0.1C hotter than the 10-month average for 2016, which currently holds the record for the hottest year.”
Only with rapid and massive cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, across all sectors, can we avoid these repeating headlines of record-breaking warmth and, more importantly, limit the growing severity of wet, hot, and dry extremes that accompany a rapidly warming world,” stated Richard Allan, a climate scientist at the University of Reading.
Our View On ‘2023 Forecast: Heatwave on Earth, Scientists Raise Climate Alarm’:
The dire predictions for 2023 being the hottest year on record send a clear message that our planet is spiraling into an escalating climate crisis. The scorching temperatures and extreme weather events we’re experiencing should serve as a wake-up call to nations, policymakers, and individuals worldwide.
Scientists, who have long sounded the alarm on climate change, are now even more adamant about the urgency of this issue. The trajectory we’re on threatens ecosystems, livelihoods, and global stability. Climate action must be prioritized across all levels of society, and a shift towards sustainability and clean energy sources is imperative.
To tackle this issue, we need comprehensive, international collaboration and policy initiatives. National governments, especially those with the highest carbon emissions, should take substantial measures to reduce their environmental footprint. The public’s awareness and commitment to adopting more sustainable lifestyles are crucial, too.
The prospect of 2023 breaking heat records should prompt immediate action, propelling us towards a greener, more sustainable future. It’s a stark reminder that time is running out, and the climate crisis is already upon us. We cannot afford to wait any longer to address this global emergency.
