Berlin [Germany], April 10: March became the 10th month in a row to set record-high global temperatures, EU scientists said.
According to data from the EU climate change service Copernicus, March was also warmer worldwide than any previous March since records began. The data used by Copernicus goes back to 1950, with some earlier data also available.
"March 2024 continues the sequence of climate records toppling for both air temperature and ocean surface temperatures, with the 10th consecutive record-breaking month," explained Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess.
The air temperature at the Earth's surface averaged 14.14 degrees Celsius in March, the service said on Tuesday. This is 0.73 degrees higher than the average for the reference period from 1991 to 2020 and 0.10 degrees higher than the warmest March measured to date in 2016.
Compared to the period 1850 to 1900, the pre-industrial reference period, the month was 1.68 degrees warmer, the report said. The global average temperature for the past 12 months (April 2023 to March 2024) is the highest since records began and is 1.58 degrees above the pre-industrial average, Burgess said.
However, this does not yet mean that the Paris 1.5-degree target has been missed, as longer-term averages are used for this purpose.
The European Union's Copernicus climate service regularly publishes data on the earth's surface temperature, sea ice cover and precipitation.
The findings are based on computer-generated analyses that incorporate billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune