The global average temperature has been 1.5°C above pre-industrial times for 12 consecutive months, according to new data released by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The UN WMO warned that this was the hottest June on record, the 13th consecutive month with record temperatures. Although unusual, a similar streak of records happened previously in 2015/2016.
Breaking the 1.5°C barrier
According to Copernicus data, June was 1.5°C above the average estimated for 1850-1900, the pre-industrial reference period. This is the 12th consecutive month to reach or break the 1.5°C barrier.
The survey reveals, says “UN News”, that the average global temperature in the last 12 months, from July 2023 to June 2024, is 1.64°C above the pre-industrial average. In addition, in June 2024, the average sea surface temperature, at latitudes outside the poles, reached 20.85°C, the record for the month. This is the 15th consecutive month in which the sea temperature was the warmest in the respective month of the year.
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said these figures “unfortunately highlight that we will exceed the 1.5°C level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency”.
Sea warming and Cyclone Beryl
Furthermore, the expert highlighted that June had extensive and prolonged heat waves, profoundly affecting people's lives in many countries.
She further warned that record sea surface temperatures are of “great concern for vital marine ecosystems and provide fuel for supercharged tropical cyclones such as Hurricane Beryl.”
However, the WMO Secretary-General recalled that temporary breaches “do not mean that the 1.5°C target is completely lost, as it refers to long-term warming over at least two decades”.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries agreed to keep the long-term global average surface temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C by the end of this century.
Devastating climate impacts – WMO
The scientific community warns: warming above 1.5°C severely increases the risks and impacts of climate change.
According to the WMO, even at current levels of global warming, devastating climate impacts are already being observed. Records show climate extremes, including heatwaves, intense rainfall and droughts, melting ice and warming oceans.
The WMO uses six international datasets, including Copernicus, to conduct its climate monitoring. It is important to note that other datasets may not confirm the 12-month sequence highlighted by the European service.
Source: datagro
