WASHINGTON (AP) — For the ninth straight month, Earth has obliterated global heat records — with February, the winter as a whole and the world’s oceans setting new high-temperature marks, according to the European Union climate agency Copernicus.

The most recent record-breaking event in this ongoing rise in temperature due to climate change involves sea surface temperatures that not only surpassed any previous record for February, but also surpassed the record set in August 2023, with temperatures continuing to rise until the end of the month. On Wednesday, Copernicus reported that February, along with the previous two winter months, exceeded the internationally established threshold for long-term warming.

The most recent month that did not break the record for hottest month was May of 2023, coming in as a close third to both 2020 and 2016. Records from Copernicus show a consistent decline in temperature starting from June.

In February 2024, the average temperature was 13.54 degrees Celsius (56.37 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record set in 2016 by a small margin. According to calculations by Copernicus, February was 1.77 degrees Celsius (3.19 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the late 19th century average. February was also one of the warmest months compared to pre-industrial levels, with only December 2024 being warmer.

The 2015 Paris Agreement established a target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). However, Copernicus’ data, which is measured on a monthly basis, does not align with the Paris threshold, as it is calculated over a longer timeframe of two to three decades. Despite this difference, the latest Copernicus data from July 2023 onwards shows that global temperatures have already surpassed the 1.5 degree mark.

Scientists who study the Earth’s climate state that a significant portion of the unprecedented high temperatures can be attributed to human activities, specifically the release of carbon dioxide and methane through the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. However, some of the excess heat can also be attributed to a natural occurrence called El Nino, which warms the central Pacific and impacts global weather patterns.

Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, stated that the presence of a powerful El Nino since mid-2023 has resulted in higher than normal global temperatures. This is due to El Ninos transferring heat from the ocean to the atmosphere, causing an increase in air temperatures. However, the alarming extent by which these records have been surpassed is concerning.

Francis added that there is a continuous “hot spot” in the Arctic region where the temperature is increasing at a much higher rate compared to the rest of the world. This is causing various consequences such as effects on fisheries, ecosystems, ice melting, and changes in ocean currents, which will have long-lasting and significant impacts.

According to Francesca Guglielmo, a senior climate scientist at Copernicus, the unusually high ocean temperatures observed outside of the Pacific, where El Nino is typically concentrated, suggest that this is not solely a natural occurrence.

According to tropical scientist Brian McNoldy from the University of Miami, the sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic has been consistently setting records every day since March 5, 2023. This has been happening for a period of one year and with significant margins that may have seemed impossible.

According to Francis, the presence of additional warmer ocean regions is a result of the gradual buildup of heat trapped by greenhouse gases over many years. This accumulated heat is now being released and causing unprecedented increases in air temperatures.

Cornell University climate scientist, Natalie Mahowald, expressed concern over the unusually high temperatures. She stressed the urgency of taking swift action to decrease CO2 emissions in order to prevent further temperature increases.

The winter season of December, January, and February was the warmest one on record, surpassing the temperatures seen in 2016 during another El Nino year. This three-month period has recorded the highest temperature increase compared to pre-industrial levels, according to the Copernicus record that dates back to 1940.

According to Francis, the current situation rates a 10 on a scale from 1 to 10 in terms of severity. However, she predicts that a new scale will be necessary as the current 10 will eventually become a 5 in the future, unless society takes action to prevent the accumulation of heat-trapping gases.

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Source: wral.com