It’s official after finding that October was the hottest on record, guaranteeing 2023 is the hottest year. The only remaining suspense is whether the annual 1.5 C delta temperature anomaly threshold target of concern set by the Paris Climate Accords is breached for the first time.
From Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service:
« El Niño impacts on global temperature typically play out in the year after its development, in this case in 2024. But as a result of record high land and sea-surface temperatures since June, the year 2023 is now on track to be the warmest year on record. Next year may be even warmer. This is clearly and unequivocally due to the contribution of the increasing concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases from human activities,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.
“Extreme events such as heatwaves, drought, wildfires, heavy rain and floods will be enhanced in some regions, with major impacts. That is why WMO is committed to the Early Warnings For All initiative to save lives and minimize economic losses,” said Prof. Taalas.
The previous warmest year on record was 2016 due to a “double whammy” of an exceptionally strong El Niño and climate change.
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Predictions for rainfall in the forthcoming three months are similar to many of the typical impacts of El Niño, including above-normal rainfall in the Greater Horn of Africa (for the remainder of the rainfall season), in Parana/La Plata basin in South America, in Southeast North America, in parts of central and eastern Asia and in a narrow band along and just north of the equator in the Pacific. Below-normal rainfall is predicted in most of northern South America, over much of Australia, in the Maritime continent (most of Indonesia, Borneo, Papua New Guinea and the Philippine Islands) and in the Pacific Ocean islands south of about 30°N, and immediately to the north of the wet band.
I’m still glowing in the aftermath of the elections yesterday. I had to share the findings from Copernicus, even though most of us who follow the climate crisis do not find the news surprising.
