A tight race: 2023 could become the hottest year in recorded history

Record hunters can be satisfied because they are living in the midst of one. This year is on track to become the hottest ever recorded, with the average global temperature recorded so far in 2023 being 0.52 degrees Celsius higher than the average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union, as reported by Reuters. The global temperature for the period from January to September is also 1.4°C higher than the pre-industrial average (from 1850-1900), the institute added, as climate change pushes global temperatures to new records, and short-term weather models also drive temperature fluctuations.

Last month was the warmest September on record globally, with temperatures 0.93°C above the average for the same month in the period 1991-2020, and the global temperature of the month was the warmest unusual warm month in any year in the ERA5 dataset, dating back to 1940. Scientists have stated that climate change, combined with the appearance this year of the El Niño meteorological pattern, which warms the surface waters of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, has fueled recent record temperatures. Unprecedented temperatures for this time of year observed in September, following a record summer, have broken records by an extraordinary margin. This extreme month has pushed 2023 into the dubious honor of being the warmest year, with temperatures approximately 1.4°C above pre-industrial average," said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of Copernicus, in a statement. "Two months after COP28, the sense of urgency for ambitious climate action has never been more critical," she said, referring to the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Last year was not a record, even though the world was 1.2°C warmer than in the pre-industrial period. The previous record belonged to 2016 and 2020 when temperatures averaged 1.25 degrees Celsius higher. The average sea surface temperature for September over 60°S-60°N reached 20.92°C, representing the highest temperature recorded for September and the second-highest for all months after August 2023, according to Copernicus. The organization's analysis is based on billions of measurements from satellites, ships, planes, and weather stations. The extent of sea ice in Antarctica has remained at a record level for this time of year, while the extent of Arctic sea ice is 18% below average.