Warmest February in history breaches more critical climate records
February 2024 has set a new record as the hottest February ever. This makes it the ninth month in a row with record-breaking temperatures, according to Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Places like western Australia, South America, southeast Asia, and southern Africa, were afflicted by the severe heat. This past year, we've seen storms, droughts, and fires fueled by human-caused climate change and amplified by the natural El Nino weather event.
Unprecedented temperature streak
C3S revealed that from February 2023 to January 2024, our planet experienced 12 straight months of temperatures, 1.5-degree Celsius above the pre-industrial era. February 2024 was a staggering 1.77C warmer than the average for the 1850-1900 reference period. C3S Director Carlo Buontempo described this heat as "remarkable" and said humanity has never faced such a climate before, calling it "uncharted territory."
Record-breaking sea surface temperatures
Ocean temperatures have also reached all-time highs, beating previous records set in August 2023. Since oceans cover 70% of Earth and have absorbed 90% of the extra heat from carbon pollution since the industrial age began, this is a major concern. Warmer oceans lead to more moisture in the air, causing unpredictable weather patterns like strong winds and heavy rain.
Urgent need for climate action
The UN's IPCC climate panel warns that Earth will likely surpass the 1.5C threshold in the early 2030s. Friederike Otto from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, stressed the importance of ending fossil fuel use and switching to renewable energy sources. She cautioned that extreme weather events worsened by climate change will keep destroying lives and livelihoods unless we take urgent action.