According to scientists, last month broke records as the hottest February ever recorded worldwide, marking the ninth consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures for this time of year.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, data indicates that global sea surface temperatures are currently at their peak, surpassing previous recorded levels.

The information indicates that February was 1.77 degrees Celsius hotter than the average for the month between 1850 and 1900 before industrialization. It was also 0.81 degrees Celsius higher than the period between 1991 and 2020. The average global temperature for the previous 12 months (March 2023 to February 2024) was the highest ever recorded, at 1.56 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

This places the world in a temporary state where it surpasses the 1.5C limit. In the long run, this could lead to the most severe consequences of climate change.

According to Copernicus, the average daily temperatures worldwide were unusually high in the first half of the month, surpassing levels from 1850-1900 by 2C on four days between February 8 and 11.

The recorded temperatures in February 2024 for Europe were 3.3 degrees Celsius higher than the monthly average for the years 1991-2020. Higher-than-average temperatures were observed in central and eastern Europe according to the data.

Europe’s winter, from December to February, was the second warmest on record for the continent.

The mean sea surface temperatures around the world in February, excluding the polar regions, were the highest ever recorded at 21.06 C. This surpassed the previous record of 20.98 C in August 2023.

According to Copernicus, the mean daily temperature of the sea surface reached a record high of 21.09C by the end of the month.

Carlo Buontempo, the head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, stated that February is the latest addition to the ongoing trend of breaking temperature records over the past few months. While this may seem remarkable, it is not unexpected given the inevitable impact of climate change on the increasing temperatures within the climate system.

As long as we are unable to stabilize the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the climate will continue to react and we will inevitably experience new record-breaking global temperatures and their resulting effects.

According to Dr. Friederike Otto, a climate science expert at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, the overwhelming and growing body of evidence shows that our climate is indeed warming. Those who continue to deny climate change are comparable to those who believe in a flat Earth. Numerous measurements from various sources such as weather stations, satellites, ships, and planes all confirm the fundamental truth that our planet is rapidly heating up.

It shouldn’t come as a shock that we have set another record. The continued burning of oil, gas, and coal by humans is causing the climate to warm. This correlation is widely recognized. There is no single solution or quick fix for addressing climate change. We are aware of the necessary steps to take, which include ceasing the use of fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy sources that are more environmentally sustainable. If we fail to make these changes, severe weather incidents influenced by climate change will persist in causing harm to communities and economies.

Source: theguardian.com