2023 Confirmed as Warmest Year on Record: Exceptional Global Warming and Extreme Weather Events

The year 2023 has been confirmed as the warmest year on record, surpassing previous records by a significant margin. This unprecedented warmth was driven by both human-induced climate change and the natural El Niño weather event. The EU’s climate service reported that the global temperature in 2023 was about 1.48 degrees Celsius warmer than the long-term average before the widespread use of fossil fuels.

The second half of 2023 saw an almost unbroken streak of daily temperature records. From June onwards, almost every day broke the previous daily record. This exceptional warmth was felt worldwide, with almost all regions experiencing above-average temperatures.

The consequences of this record-breaking warmth were far-reaching. Extreme weather events, including heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and flooding, occurred on scales beyond those seen in recent times or at unusual points of the year. These events destroyed lives and livelihoods, underscoring the urgent need to address climate change.

The year 2024 could potentially be even warmer than 2023, as some of the record ocean surface heat escapes into the atmosphere. This raises the possibility that 2024 may surpass the key 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold across the entire calendar year for the first time. While this would not mean the Paris Agreement had been broken, it highlights the concerning direction of travel and the need for more ambitious climate action.

The record global warmth in 2023 was a stark reminder of the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable energy sources. Despite the challenges, there have been encouraging signs of progress in recent years, including the increasing adoption of renewable power and the growth of electric vehicles. These efforts, while not yet sufficient to meet the 1.5-degree Celsius target, can still make a crucial difference in limiting the consequences of climate change.