April 2024 warmest ever, topple global temperature records: EU climate agency

Warmest April: If you have been particularly feeling the heat this season, you are not alone. In fact, April has been the warmest ever. Record heat, rain and flooding have ruptured daily lives in many countries. 

According to the European Union's climate agency Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), April was the 11th consecutive month of record-high temperatures – a result of the now weakening El Nino and human-caused climate change. 

April was 1.58 degree Celsius warmer than the month’s average for the  pre-industrial period of 1850-1900 at 15.03 degree Celsius. It was 0.67 degree Celsius warmer than the 1991-2020 average and 0.14 degree Celsius above the previous high set in April 2016.

Carlo Buontempo, Director of C3S, said that El Nino peaked at the beginning of the year with the sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific now turning to neutral conditions. "However, while temperature variations associated with natural cycles like El Nino come and go, the extra energy trapped in the ocean and the atmosphere by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases will keep pushing the global temperature towards new records," Buontempo said.

GLOBAL TEMPERATURES SOAR

Meanwhile, the global average temperature for the past 12 months – from May 2023 to April 2024 – is the highest recorded with 0.73 degree Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.61 degree Celsius above the 1850-1900 average. 

The report added that global temperatures breached the 1.5 degree Celsius mark for an entire year for the first time in January. The permanent breach of the 1.5 degree Celsius limit specified in the Paris Agreement indicates long-term warming over many years. This does not bode well as as per climate scientists, countries need to limit the average temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial period to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.  

April saw El Nino continue to weaken towards neutral conditions, but marine air temperatures remained unusually high, according to scientists at C3S. A severe heat wave in Asia led to the temporary shutdown of schools in the Philippines and shattered temperature records in India, which is in the midst of a 44-day general election. This heat wave also affected Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. The United Arab Emirates witnessed its heaviest rainfall in 75 years during the same month.

HEATWAVE IN INDIA

Meanwhile, many regions in India are reeling under the impact of a heatwave. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heatwave conditions over Interior Karnataka on May 8th, over East Rajasthan on May 8th and 09th, over West Rajasthan and West Madhya Pradesh during May 8-10th. It also predicted hot and humid weather to prevail in isolated pockets over Gujarat Region in the next 5 days; Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, Kerala & Mahe on 8th.

The IMD, however, is expecting La Nina conditions by August-September. La Nina is the antithesis of El Nino and indicates bountiful rainfall in the monsoon season. The department had said India would experience above-normal cumulative rainfall in the 2024 monsoon, with La Nina being the dominant factor.