September 2024 Recorded as Second-Warmest Month Globally: Insights from the EU Climate Monitor

September 2024 has been recorded as the second-warmest month globally, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service. Extreme weather events attributed to climate change, including heavy rainfall and severe storms, have surged in frequency. The year 2024 is projected to surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record, indicating a worrying trend of rising global temperatures and exacerbating climate conditions.

September marked a record as the second-warmest month globally, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. This month’s high temperatures follow an exceptional trend, with 2024 projected to become the hottest year on record. During September, various regions experienced extreme weather events, including severe rainfall leading to catastrophic storms, significantly fueled by increasing global temperatures attributed to climate change. The global average temperature in September was only slightly lower than September 2023, with Copernicus utilizing extensive data from satellites, ships, and weather stations for accurate assessments. The report highlights a pattern in which climate change has intensified extreme weather, as warmer air holds more moisture, resulting in heavier rainfall and more severe storms. Samantha Burgess, deputy director at Copernicus, stated, “In September some parts of the world saw ‘months’ worth of rain falling in just a few days.'” She further emphasized, “The extreme rainfall events of this month, something we are observing more and more often, have been made worse by a warmer atmosphere.” This indicates a worsening trend for future weather patterns, as the risks of extreme rainfall are anticipated to rise in correlation with increasing temperatures. Throughout the month, natural disasters such as Hurricane Helene and Typhoon Krathon devastated regions in the southeastern United States and Taiwan, respectively, while central Europe grappled with flooding from Storm Boris. Additional rainfall anomalies affected various parts of Africa, Russia, and Australia, alongside Pakistan’s severe monsoon impacts. Copernicus noted that temperatures from January to September of 2024 have already reached unprecedented levels, reinforcing the likelihood that this year will set the new record for warmth. Consistently, fourteen of the last fifteen months have been more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above post-Industrial Revolution averages, raising concerns among scientists about reaching the Paris Agreement’s goals of limiting warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. Despite this pressing issue, scientists are warning that crossing the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold may occur between 2030 and 2035. Furthermore, a rise in greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly from fossil fuel combustion, continues unabated, as evidenced by current national policies suggesting a rise of approximately 2.9 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Research indicates that much of the excess heat caused by climate change has been absorbed by the oceans, which also regulate global climate due to their vast coverage of the Earth’s surface. Since 2005, the rate of ocean warming has intensified significantly, leading to troubling marine phenomena, including heatwaves and increased ocean acidity affecting marine ecosystems.

The data and observations provided in this report by Copernicus elaborate on the ongoing and worsening impacts of climate change across the globe. Climate change has not only resulted in rising temperatures but also has induced more frequent and severe natural disasters, fundamentally altering weather patterns. The relationship between global warming and increased rainfall leads to intensified storms, drawing attention to the urgency of addressing climate-related issues effectively. The historical and ongoing trend of temperature rise plays a crucial role in understanding the current environmental threats facing humanity, meriting comprehensive and immediate action.

In summary, the findings from the Copernicus Climate Change Service underscore the alarming trend of rising global temperatures, with September 2024 being recorded as the second-warmest month. The observed extreme weather events, intensified by climate change, serve as a warning of the growing natural disasters linked to human-induced global warming. As the year progresses, it is evident that urgent steps must be taken to mitigate climate change impacts to prevent further degradation of the environment and threats to global well-being.

Original Source: www.wionews.com