Global temperatures in September soared to unprecedented levels, leaving scientists astonished and one expert describing it as “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas.”
This scorching September comes on the heels of the hottest August and July on record, with July being the warmest month ever recorded. These soaring temperatures have fueled heatwaves and devastating wildfires across the world.
September 2023 broke previous records for the month by a staggering 0.5 degrees Celsius, marking the most significant temperature jump ever recorded.
This left September approximately 1.8 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels, a shift confirmed by datasets from both European and Japanese scientists.
The primary drivers behind this intense heatwave are ongoing high levels of carbon dioxide emissions combined with a rapid shift in the planet’s most extensive natural climate phenomenon, El Niño.
In contrast, the preceding three years witnessed La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which have a cooling effect on global temperatures as more heat is stored in the ocean.
The current El Niño event is releasing stored oceanic heat, contributing to rising temperatures. It is virtually certain that 2023 will go down as the hottest year on record, with 2024 potentially surpassing it, as the heating impact of El Niño is most pronounced in the year following its onset.
The first global temperature data is in for the full month of September. This month was, in my professional opinion as a climate scientist – absolutely gobsmackingly bananas. JRA-55 beat the prior monthly record by over 0.5C, and was around 1.8C warmer than preindutrial levels. pic.twitter.com/mgg3rcR2xZ
— Zeke Hausfather (@hausfath) October 3, 2023
“September was, in my professional opinion as a climate scientist, absolutely gobsmackingly bananas,” Zeke Hausfather, from the Berkeley Earth climate data project.
Climate researcher Mika Rantanen from the Finnish Meteorological Institute struggled to fathom how a single year could witness such a substantial temperature leap compared to previous years. Professor Ed Hawkins, from the University of Reading, UK, termed the summer heat “extraordinary.”
Samantha Burgess, from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, emphasized the unprecedented nature of September’s temperatures, asserting that 2023 is on track to be the warmest year, with temperatures approximately 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages.
This alarming trend intensifies the sense of urgency for ambitious climate action, particularly with the UN climate conference, COP28, just two months away.
Record-breaking temperatures were also experienced within several countries, including France, Germany, and Poland. The United Kingdom, according to the Met Office, saw its joint hottest September on record, a record dating back to 1884.
In Australia, climate scientist Joelle Gergis observed shocking climate patterns in September, with maximum temperatures reaching unprecedented levels and many areas experiencing temperatures 3 to 5 degrees Celsius above average. These conditions have set the stage for severe drought, leading to concerns of a brutal summer.
While human-induced global heating and El Niño are the primary contributors to these record-breaking temperatures, other factors may be playing a role in minor temperature increases. These include changes in the 11-year solar cycle, reductions in sulfur emissions from shipping and industry that block sunlight, and a volcanic eruption in Tonga that released significant water vapor, trapping heat.
Scientists have been warning of increasingly severe weather impacts for decades, but the speed and intensity of these events, along with the vulnerability of many populations, have startled observers.
Climate experts stress that unless there is a dramatic increase in climate action, the extraordinary events of 2023 could become the new normal within a decade. Their overwhelming consensus is that cutting fossil fuel consumption to zero is the critical action needed to combat this crisis.
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