The Earth continues to warm, and 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest year in history. This is a worrying milestone for the climate crisis. Indeed, the average temperature in 2023 was 14.98 degrees Celsius, 0.17 degrees above the record set in 2016.
BREAKING: 2023 was the planet's hottest year on record by a substantial margin and likely the world's warmest in the last 100,000 years, EU scientists confirm https://t.co/Hqgt74zLtF pic.twitter.com/roQCwOIMg9
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 9, 2024
Felt on every continent
In 2023, the heat was felt on all continents and in all ocean basins. The seas were also affected by the heat wave, recording the highest temperatures ever recorded. Scientists fear that these high temperatures could lead to an increase in hurricanes and tropical storms, as Reuters reports.
Scientists have been shocked not only by the heat of the past year, but also by the speed with which new records have been broken. This trend is the result of human-induced effects on climate change, and is exacerbated by climatic variations such as El Nino.
It’s been so hot that by 2023, the planet’s average temperature was 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels every day. This is an absolute record. This rise in temperature has already had a major impact on the world. In 2023, forest fires in Canada, Hawaii and southern Europe destroyed landscapes and livelihoods.
In addition, the use of fossil fuels continues to release greenhouse gases, which are the main cause of the sharp rise in global temperatures. Some critics are therefore calling for stronger action to slow the pace of global warming.
Faced with the current status quo and last year’s record highs, climate scientists are calling for immediate and decisive action to decarbonize our economy and strengthen our adaptation strategies.
