Climate Alert: September 2024 Recorded as the Second-Warmest on Record, Global Impacts Intensify

September 2024 was recorded as the second-warmest September globally, with extraordinary rainfall and severe storms occurring more frequently due to climate change. The Copernicus Climate Change Service predicts that 2024 is poised to become the warmest year on record, with a significant number of recent months registering temperatures notably above pre-industrial averages. These trends underscore the urgent need for global action to combat climate change.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, September 2024 has marked the second-warmest September ever recorded globally, in what is anticipated to be a historic year of heat. The average global temperature for this month ranks below only that of September 2023, as revealed by the European Union climate monitor. This alarming trend indicates a continuation of the warming climate, with global temperatures rising due to ongoing climate change. September experienced extreme rainfall and catastrophic storms worldwide, events that have become increasingly frequent and severe as temperatures climb. The Copernicus report emphasizes the connection between warmer air, which can retain more moisture, and the escalation of intense weather phenomena. “The extreme rainfall events of this month… have been made worse by a warmer atmosphere,” stated Samantha Burgess, the deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, highlighting the heightened risk of extreme rainfall as global temperatures continue to rise. The month was marked by significant weather disturbances, including Hurricane Helene’s impact on the southeastern United States, Typhoon Krathon in Taiwan, and Storm Boris in central Europe. Various regions across Asia, Africa, and Australia similarly faced severe weather, with some areas experiencing enduring rainfall that was unprecedented in intensity. The Copernicus report elaborates that the months from January to September 2024 have already established new temperature records, suggesting a high likelihood that this year will surpass all prior records for warmth. Notably, fourteen of the last fifteen months have registered temperatures at least 1.5 degrees Celsius above the average experienced in the pre-industrial era. While these temperature spikes do not constitute a breach of the Paris Agreement—where the objective is to maintain global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius—they serve as a critical warning; scientists caution that the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold is becoming increasingly elusive. Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions, primarily emanating from fossil fuel combustion, have escalated in recent years, despite the urgent need for substantial reductions to avert further temperature rises of up to 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2100, as estimated by the UN Environment Programme. Copernicus has been documenting these climatic trends since 1940, yet additional historical climate data drawn from ice cores, tree rings, and coral skeletons indicates that the current era is likely the warmest Earth has been in approximately 100,000 years, harking back to the beginning of the last Ice Age.

The ongoing phenomenon of climate change is characterized by rising global temperatures, which have been recorded with increasing frequency and intensity in various weather events worldwide. The role of climate monitoring bodies, such as the Copernicus Climate Change Service, is pivotal in tracking these changes through sophisticated data collection methodologies that encompass satellite, maritime, and aerial measurements. This comprehensive monitoring enables scientists to understand not only temperature fluctuations but also their cascading effects on meteorological patterns, including precipitation and severe weather incidents. The analysis shows that human activities, particularly greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, are the primary drivers of this unprecedented warming.

In summary, the report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service underscores the urgent reality of climate change, highlighted by September 2024 being the second-warmest September on record. This pattern of rising global temperatures, coupled with severe weather events such as disastrous rainfall and storms, signals a critical juncture in our environmental trajectory. The necessity for a concerted global effort to mitigate climate change becomes increasingly evident, as do the implications of our current trajectory for future temperature regulation and environmental stability.

Original Source: www.france24.com