Copernicus warns that 2023 will be “almost certainly” the hottest year since there is data

Berlin, Nov 8 (EFE).- The European Copernicus satellite system detected the highest temperature ever recorded in a month of October in this year 2023, which, “almost certainly”, will become the hottest since data exists. according to records published this Wednesday.

Last October was the hottest on the entire planet, with an average surface air temperature of 15.30 degrees Celsius, which is 0.85 degrees Celsius above the average for the years 1991 to 2020 for a month. October and 0.40 degrees Celsius above what was the record until now, that of 2019.

October 2023 is thus placed only behind the previous month in the Copernicus records in terms of the global temperature anomaly.

“October 2023 recorded exceptional temperature anomalies, after temperature records had been broken for four months. We can almost certainly say that 2023 will be the hottest year on record,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Foreign Exchange Service. Copernicus Climate Change, in a statement.

Burgess added that the global temperature is currently 1.43 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average and said that “the sense of urgency to (implement) ambitious climate action as COP28 approaches has never been greater,” alluding to to the conference that will be held from the end of this month in Dubai.

Copernicus data indicate that between January and October the average temperature in 2023 is the highest on record, 1.43 degrees Celsius above the average for the period between 1850 and 1900, and 0.10 degrees Celsius higher than the average ten months of 2016, which has been the hottest year so far.

In the case of Europe, last October was the fourth warmest since records began, 1.30 degrees Celsius above the average detected between 1991 and 2020, according to Copernicus.

In addition, the average sea surface temperature in October in the area between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north was 20.79 degrees Celsius, the highest measurement for the month of October.

According to Copernicus, the El Niño phenomenon continued to develop in the equatorial Pacific, although the anomalies recorded are below those reached at this time of year in the “historically strong” years of 1997 and 2015.

The data reported by Copernicus is based on cyber analysis that obtains billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world.

Regarding the ice sheet over Antarctica, a new record was recorded in October for the sixth consecutive month, with a monthly value of 11% below the average. The Arctic ice reached an extent that placed October in the seventh month with the least recorded, with 12% below the average.

Precipitation was above average in most of Europe: Storm Babet hit the north of the continent and Storm Aline hit Portugal and Spain, causing heavy rain and flooding.

Beyond Europe the climate was generally wetter, including southwestern North America, parts of the Arabian Peninsula, parts of central Asia and Siberia, southeastern China, Brazil, New Zealand, and parts of southern Africa.

In contrast, it was drier than average in the southern United States and areas of Mexico, where droughts were recorded, as well as regions of central and eastern Asia and the extratropical southern hemisphere, including Australia.