School students protect themselves from the scorching sun on a hot February day.
(Suman Reddy D/BCCL Hyderabad)
Despite being marked by the irregularity of being a leap month, February 2024 adhered to the familiar script of the past year, steadfastly refusing to diverge from the concerning warming trajectory that has defined recent times.
To begin with, last month was the warmest February ever recorded on a global scale, continuing a streak of nine consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures for the respective time of year.
Data analysis reveals that February surpassed the pre-industrial monthly average by 1.77°C and exceeded the 1991-2020 levels by 0.81°C.
The cumulative global average temperature for the twelve-month period from March 2023 to February 2024 also reached unprecedented heights, standing at 1.56°C above pre-industrial levels.
These alarming figures momentarily elevate the planet above the critical 1.5°C threshold, signalling the onset of the most severe consequences of climate change in the long term.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that global sea surface temperatures have hit record highs as well. February's average (outside the polar regions) was registered at 21.06°C, surpassing the previous peak of 20.98°C set in August 2023.
At the end of the month, the average daily sea surface temperature reached an all-time high of 21.09°C, highlighting the intensifying trend.
Addressing the underlying causes behind these records, Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, told The Guardian: “The climate responds to the actual concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, so unless we manage to stabilise those, we will inevitably face new global temperature records and their consequences.”
Looking ahead, experts anticipate a continuation of the prevailing trend throughout 2024. With ocean heat content at unprecedented levels, the release of this stored heat into the atmosphere is poised to fuel further temperature spikes.
Projections suggest that 2024 may surpass the 1.5°C threshold for the full year and possibly even breach 1.6°C, underscoring the urgent imperative for decisive action to mitigate climate change impacts.
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