Global warming is posing unprecedented challenges to cities, cultures, transportation systems, and energy systems.
The world witnessed storms, droughts that withered crops, and devastating fires last year as human-caused climate change combined with the El Nino has caused global warming to appear to be at its hottest in about 100,000 years.
According to C3S, between February 2023 and January 2024, the Earth for the first time experienced 12 consecutive months with temperatures 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial times. This trend continued with the temperature level in February being 1.77°C higher than estimates for the same period in the pre-industrial period (1850-1900). During the first half of February, daily global temperatures were unusually high with four consecutive days recording average temperatures 2°C higher than pre-industrial levels.
Unusually warm winter
Japan has just experienced an unusually warm winter with the average temperature being the second highest recorded since statistics commenced in 1898. Data show that winter in Japan (calculated from December 2023 to February 2024) had an average temperature 1.27°C higher than normal and was the second hottest winter in history, only behind the record 1.43°C recorded in 2020. Meanwhile, 31 of the 153 meteorological observation points in the Land of the Rising Sun recorded their highest temperatures to date.
According to C3S, between February 2023 and January 2024, the Earth for the first time experienced 12 consecutive months with temperatures 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial times. This trend continued with the temperature level in February being 1.77°C higher than estimates for the same period in pre-industrial times (1850-1900).
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, Aleksandr Kirilov, Director of the "Russian Arctic" national park, announced that Russian scientists have recorded unusual evidence showing that global warming is accelerating quickly in the area.
The Arctic recorded a warming rate four times higher than the rest of the Earth, and the northern region of the Barents Sea, between the Franz Josef Land archipelago and the Russian island of Spitsbergen, became the fastest-warming place on Earth.
Normally, when ice melts due to global warming, ocean levels will rise and island nations and coastal cities will be submerged. However, Russian scientists in the Arctic have recorded a phenomenon in which some islands have risen higher out of the sea. According to Mr. Kirilov's explanation, in the Arctic, permafrost weighs heavily on the islands, and when the ice melts, the islands are "unburdened" and rise higher out of the water.
In the UK, England and Wales also witnessed February 2024 become the warmest February in recorded history. Overall, the average temperature across the UK in February was 6.3°C — the second highest level in history, below the record set in 1998. Experts assess that this data shows the dramatic impact of human-caused climate change on winter temperatures in the UK. Winters are becoming warmer and wetter as the atmosphere warms, making it more likely to retain moisture in the Land of Mist.
Spain also experienced its hottest January since statistics began to be compiled in 1961. Accordingly, temperatures in some areas reached nearly 30°C. The eastern region of Valencia recorded temperatures up to 29.5°C, southeastern Murcia 28.5°C, and southern Malaga 27.8°C. These are the temperatures that are commonly seen in June every year in Spain.
Unseasonable weather has exacerbated years of drought in northeastern Catalonia and southern Andalusia. Catalonia is facing its worst drought ever, with rainfall in the past three years being below the region's average. The Catalan regional government has declared a drought emergency for Spain's second largest city, Barcelona, and much of the surrounding area. The Spanish Minister of Agriculture said that the cause of the unusual weather is climate change.
In the Americas, Canadians are also experiencing a different winter compared to previous years, with temperatures in many regions having been warmer than normal in recent times and a deep cold wave that has recently appeared in southern Ontario, which is located in the eastern region. Many Canadians hope they will experience a warmer spring this year.
Anthony Farnell, Chief Meteorologist at Global News, said that Canadians will witness fluctuations in temperature, and everything will become strange, contrary to the laws of nature. The erratic temperature changes are due to the impact of the El Nino climate phenomenon this winter, causing warmer water temperatures and affecting air flows and specific weather patterns. Meanwhile, the La Nina phenomenon will appear in the summer, causing water sources to be cooler than normal.
According to Farnell's assessment, with the forecast that the La Nina weather phenomenon will return, Canada may face the risk of forest fires like those seen last year. Some cities in the US have also recorded record high temperatures in February, with hot weather like summer, even though winter has not ended. According to the US National Weather Service (NWS), the temperature measured in the city of Saint Louis, Missouri, on February 27, reached 86°F (30°C). This is the highest temperature ever in February.
The main culprit
The recent increase in global temperature is considered to be the longest ever series of days with temperatures 2°C higher than in the pre-industrial period. According to C3S, the sea surface temperature was also the highest ever at more than 21°C recorded at the end of last month, surpassing the previous extreme temperature recorded in August 2023. Oceans cover 70% of the planet and absorb 90% of the excess heat caused by carbon pollution caused by human activities. Warmer oceans mean more moisture in the atmosphere, leading to increasingly erratic weather.
C3S data has been collected since the 1940s, but given what scientists know about temperature history, the human civilisation has never before faced climate conditions like those of today. Although El Nino and other weather phenomena are blamed for the recent unprecedented heat wave, scientists say the greenhouse gas emissions that humans continue to release into the atmosphere are the "main culprit". According to experts, climate change caused by human activities is increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts, and forest fires.
