New Delhi: The latest report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) revealed that March 2024 was the hottest March ever recorded globally. This marks the tenth consecutive month to break temperature records, according to the European Union climate agency.
The average surface air temperature for March 2024 soared to 14.14 degrees Celsius worldwide, surpassing the 1991-2020 average by 0.73 degrees Celsius. This figure also exceeded the previous record set in March 2016 by 0.10 degrees Celsius.
Moreover, the report highlights that the global average temperature over the past twelve months, from April 2023 to March 2024, has reached unprecedented levels, standing at 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average and a staggering 1.58°C above the pre-industrial levels of 1850-1900.
Deputy Director of Copernicus Climate Service (C3S), Samantha Burgess, emphasized the gravity of these findings, stating that the continual breaking of climate records underscores the urgent need for decisive action to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Europe, too, felt the scorching impact of this global temperature surge, with March 2024 ranking as the second warmest March on record for the continent. The average European temperature for the month soared to 2.12°C above the 1991-2020 average, coming tantalizingly close to the record set in March 2014 by a mere 0.02°C. Notably, temperatures remained persistently above average in central and eastern regions of Europe.
Expanding beyond Europe, the report outlined several regions experiencing above-average temperatures, including eastern North America, Greenland, eastern Russia, Central America, parts of South America, various African regions, southern Australia, and segments of Antarctica. Despite a weakening El Nino in the eastern equatorial Pacific, marine air temperatures continued to remain conspicuously elevated.
The global sea surface temperature averaged over 60°S-60°N reached a historic high of 21.07°C for March, marginally surpassing the previous record set in February.
