New York, Jan 11 (NationPress) The average global temperature for 2024 has set a new record as the hottest year since temperature data collection commenced in 1850. This year also represents the first instance in which a critical milestone established by global leaders to mitigate the severe consequences of climate change has been surpassed, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Additionally, 2024 has recorded the highest temperatures ever in the United States, as confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Friday. The yearly average temperature reached 55.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a staggering 3.3 degrees above the norm, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
“These announcements are part of a coordinated effort among key climate observation organizations, including NOAA, NASA, and Berkeley Earth, to release findings simultaneously,” USA Today highlighted in its coverage of this development.
“All global temperature datasets produced by international bodies indicate that 2024 is the hottest year on record since 1850,” remarked Carlo Buontempo, the director of Copernicus.
The establishment of a new record temperature for the second consecutive year has intensified calls from various organizations for more decisive and swift actions to combat rising temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions, and the exacerbated impacts of extreme weather phenomena, according to the report.
“This includes incidents like the drought in California, which contributed to the recent wildfire in Los Angeles, and the severe rainfall that caused destruction in Western North Carolina as Hurricane Helene and its remnants passed through,” it added.
Data from the climate change service reveals that the total atmospheric water vapor reached a historic high in 2024, approximately 5 percent above the 1991-2020 average, and significantly greater than levels recorded in 2023.
“The combination of these elevated global temperatures along with record atmospheric water vapor in 2024 has resulted in unparalleled heatwaves and intense rainfall events, causing severe distress for millions,” stated Samantha Burgess, the strategic lead for climate at the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
