2024 confirmed as hottest year on record, warns EU’s Copernicus program
The European Union’s Copernicus space program has announced in its monthly bulletin that 2024 is officially the warmest year ever recorded. This statement comes just a week before the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
According to Copernicus, 2024 is likely the first year in which Earth’s temperature has risen more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Scientists report that over the past 12 months, global temperatures have been 1.62 degrees Celsius higher than the average between 1850 and 1900, the period when fossil fuel burning began.
The Copernicus bulletin also noted that October 2024 was the second-warmest October on record, only surpassed by October 2023, which was 1.65 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Scientists have warned that continued warming at this rate threatens ecosystems and human populations, pushing many closer to the brink of survival.
The findings from Copernicus are based on billions of atmospheric data points collected from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations.
Copernicus also reported that this October, Arctic sea ice was 19% below its average level, and Antarctic sea ice was 8% below its average.
The bulletin highlighted unusual rainfall across Europe, particularly in Spain, where over 200 people lost their lives in severe flooding, citing this as another sign of climate change.
The Copernicus findings underscore the urgent need for global climate action, particularly as we witness increasingly extreme weather events and declining polar ice.
The data serves as a stark reminder for leaders at the upcoming UN Climate Conference to take decisive action to combat climate change and protect the future of our planet.
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