Heatwaves that have sweltered many countries since early April will continue to drive temperatures to record-breaking levels for the rest of the year, according to climate scientists, as warming caused by rising greenhouse-gas emissions coincides with the onset of the cyclical El Nino weather phenomenon.
However, determining how much of the impact can be attributable to El Nino, which has historically exacerbated catastrophic heatwaves on land and in the waters, against the consequences of climate change is difficult.
“We are in new ground, and more records are likely to fall as El Nino continues to develop,” said Christopher Hewitt, director of climate services at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). These effects will last until 2024.
To emphasize the urgency, the president-designate of the United Nations Climate Change summit (COP28) unveiled a four-pillar strategy this week that prioritizes “fast-tracking transition” ahead of the annual summit in Dubai in November.
According to data collected by satellites, land-based stations, and ships and analyzed by the WMO, the week ending July 9 was the warmest on record. That was followed by the warmest June on record.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the global average temperature on July 7 was 17.24 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record of 16.94 degrees set on August 16, 2016. The WMO reported that Antarctic sea ice was at its lowest level for June since satellite monitoring began, at 17% below average.
Read more NOAA Scientists Declare El Nino To Last Until 2024
Heatwaves have become more common in recent years. This year, record-breaking temperatures were observed in India, Bangladesh, southwest China, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam as early as mid-April.
Northern China had a heat wave in June. On 16 days of the month, Beijing had daily high temperatures of at least 35 degrees, culminating on June 22 with a record June reading of 41.1 degrees.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, there is a two-in-three likelihood that the annual average global temperature would reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years between now and 2027.
Source:
scmp.com
