Calay News
“To date, the year 2023 ranks as the third warmest year on record,” Sarah Kapnick, chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced during a news conference. Kapnick said it is virtually certain, with a probability of more than 99%, that this year will be counted among the five warmest years ever recorded, and there is almost a 50% chance that 2023 will claim the title of the hottest year on record. history.
Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, noted that 2024 could surpass even 2023 in terms of warmth due to the effect of the El Niño weather phenomenon in the Pacific. Schmidt anticipated the most significant impact of El Niño to manifest in 2024, which could lead to another exceptionally warm and possibly record-breaking year.
The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Observatory backed this trend by reporting that July set a new record as the hottest month ever documented on Earth. Data collected by NOAA corroborated these figures, indicating that the average land surface temperature in July was 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.02 degrees Fahrenheit) above the historical average, thus establishing the hottest July in 174 years of records.
Rising ocean temperatures were also a crucial issue, as El Niño conditions, beginning in June, led to a record fourth consecutive month in ocean surface temperatures. Kate Calvin, NASA Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor, stressed that climate change is affecting people and ecosystems globally, highlighting phenomena such as rising sea levels, the reduction of Arctic sea ice, forest fires, and heavy rainfall events. These climatic trends are having a significant impact on multiple aspects of life on the planet.
