The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that January 2024 was the hottest on record, marking a continuation of unprecedented heat attributed to climate change. This record-breaking month surpassed the previous warmest January, recorded in 2020, according to C3S records dating back to 1950. The trend aligns with 2023 being declared the hottest year globally since records began in 1850, propelled by human-induced climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Since June of the previous year, each month has consecutively set new records for being the world’s hottest compared to the corresponding month in previous years. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, highlighted not only the record-setting January but also 12 months exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (1.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial reference period. She emphasized the urgent need for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to curb rising global temperatures.
U.S. scientists have indicated a one-in-three chance that 2024 could surpass the heat of the previous year, with a 99% likelihood of ranking among the top five warmest years. While the El Niño phenomenon began to weaken, and a potential shift to the cooler La Niña counterpart is anticipated later in the year, average global sea surface temperatures in January reached a new high.
Despite exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold in 12 months, the world has not yet breached the target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement. The agreement aims to prevent global warming from surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius to avert severe and irreversible consequences.
While some scientists express skepticism about achieving the goal, they stress the importance of governments acting swiftly to reduce CO2 emissions and minimize the impact of surpassing the target on people and ecosystems.
