January another 'record breaking' month for rising temperatures

Last month was the warmest January on record globally according to European Earth Observation program Copernicus. 

Average surface air temperature hit 13.14°C, which is 0.70°C above the average for January over the past two decades. It is also 0.12°C above the previous highest temperature recorded for January, in 2020.

Figures from the Copernicus program, which produces a monthly bulletin on changes to global surface air and sea temperatures and ice cover, show this is the eighth consecutive month to be the warmest since figures began to be collected. 

As well as Europe, temperatures exceeded the average over much of eastern Canada, northern Africa, the Middle East and central Asia. 

Levels of sea ice in the Antarctic region continue to run below that which should be expected. January was the sixth lowest recorded, at 18 percent below average. This is some way off the 31 percent recorded in January 2023.

Commenting on the findings, Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service said "2024 starts with another record-breaking month. Not only is it the warmest January on record but we have also just experienced a 12-month period of more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial reference period.”

Rains and wildfires

Changing weather conditions are continuing to cause problems in many parts of the world, with storms impacting north and south-western Europe. 

The African Maghreb, Spain and parts of Russia report drier than average conditions. Meanwhile, heavy rain has hit western and south-eastern USA, parts of South America and eastern Australia, where wildfires have been a particular concern. 

Burgess concluded: "Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop global temperatures increasing."

The EU funded Copernicus Climate Change Service bases its findings on computer-generated analyses and data, using billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world.

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