March second warmest on record says global warming monitor

March 2024 marked the second-warmest March on record globally, with sea temperatures also hitting near-record highs, signaling a likely shift to El Niño conditions. | Contesto: cronaca

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• March second warmest on record says global warming monitor

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The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has confirmed that March 2024 was the planet's second-warmest March on record, continuing a relentless streak of exceptional global heat. The month also saw the second-highest global average sea surface temperatures ever observed for March, according to the agency's latest monthly bulletin. Scientists at the monitor noted that, based on current oceanic and atmospheric trends, the climate system appears to be transitioning towards El Niño conditions, a natural phenomenon known to amplify global warming's effects. This latest data point extends a pattern of record-shattering warmth that has persisted for nearly a year. The C3S report places March 2024 within a context where every month since June 2023 has set a new temperature record for that respective month. The primary driver remains the unprecedented accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels. The elevated sea surface temperatures are a critical component of this warming, as oceans absorb over 90% of the excess heat generated by the climate system. The potential shift towards an El Niño phase carries significant implications. El Niño, characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically disrupts global weather patterns. It often leads to increased global average temperatures, exacerbating heatwaves, altering precipitation, and influencing cyclone activity. The last major El Niño event, from 2015 to 2016, contributed to what was then the warmest year on record. A new El Niño developing on the back of already record-high baseline temperatures could push global thermometers into uncharted territory. The consequences of these intertwined trends—persistent background warming and a developing El Niño—are not abstract. They translate into more intense and frequent extreme weather events worldwide. Communities face heightened risks from devastating floods, prolonged droughts, catastrophic wildfires, and powerful storms. The warming oceans also directly threaten marine ecosystems through coral bleaching and...

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Categoria: cronaca