The past 12 months have seen a record-breaking streak of heat across the globe, with temperatures exceeding historical averages by 1.58°C (2.8°F) in April alone, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. This marks the Earth’s 11th consecutive month of record-breaking heat, and the trend is expected to continue into the hotter-than-usual summer in Europe.
The Copernicus program, which is the world’s largest provider of climate data, uses billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide for its monthly and seasonal forecasts. Despite natural cycles like El Niño that can cause temperature variations, the continuous increase in greenhouse gases’ concentrations is trapping extra energy in the ocean and atmosphere, leading to global temperatures pushing towards new records.
Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo emphasized the importance of monitoring and addressing these trends to mitigate the impact of climate change. With record-breaking heat already spreading across Asia and a hotter-than-usual summer expected in Europe, it has never been more urgent to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.