Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists have announced that February 2024 has been identified as the warmest February on record globally, marking the ninth consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures for the corresponding period, said a report by The Guardian.
Data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service revealed that global sea surface temperatures have reached their highest recorded levels, further highlighting the extent of climate change.
February temperatures were 1.77°C warmer than the pre-industrial average for the month, with a notable deviation of 0.81°C above levels recorded between 1991 and 2020.
The global average temperature for the past 12 months, spanning from March 2023 to February 2024, set a new record high at 1.56°C above pre-industrial levels, underscoring the persistence of warming trends.
The consecutive months of record temperatures temporarily surpassed the 1.5°C threshold, indicating the heightened risk of severe climate impacts if warming trends persist.
Daily global average temperatures during the first half of February surged to exceptional levels, peaking at 2°C above pre-industrial levels from 8 to 11 February, as reported by Copernicus.
European temperatures in February soared to 3.3°C above the 1991-2020 average, with particularly high temperatures observed in central and eastern Europe, contributing to the continent's second warmest winter on record.
Global sea surface temperatures for February reached an unprecedented average of 21.06°C, surpassing the previous record set in August 2023, signalling alarming trends in oceanic warming.
Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, emphasized the inevitability of new temperature extremes due to continuous climate warming, underscoring the urgent need for greenhouse gas stabilization.
Dr. Friederike Otto from Imperial College London stressed the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels towards sustainable energy sources to mitigate the devastating impacts of climate change, as evidenced by the ongoing temperature records. "People should not be surprised that we have broken another record. Humans continue to burn oil, gas and coal, so the climate continues to warm. It is a very well understood relationship. There is no silver bullet or magic fix for climate change," said Otto.