Thursday 7 September 2023

Planet burns: Hottest three months on record

Earth has endured its hottest three-month period ever, as revealed by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), which is funded by the EU.

This record-breaking streak has brought with it unprecedented sea surface temperatures and a surge in extreme weather events across the globe.

August, in particular, shattered records by becoming the hottest August on record, surpassing all previous benchmarks by a significant margin.

In fact, it's now ranked as the second-hottest month ever recorded, trailing closely behind July 2023.

According to the C3S monthly climate bulletin, August was approximately 1.5°C warmer than the pre-industrial average for the period between 1850 and 1900.

August witnessed another startling milestone: it marked the highest global monthly average sea surface temperatures on record across all months, peaking at 20.98°C.

Temperatures surpassed the previous record set in March 2016, making August 2023 the hottest sea surface month on record.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a sobering call to action in response to these alarming trends, stating, "Climate breakdown has begun. Scientists have long warned what our fossil fuel addiction will unleash. Surging temperatures demand a surge in action.

"Leaders must turn up the heat now for climate solutions. We can still avoid the worst of climate chaos - and we don’t have a moment to lose."