The global temperature is 1.56 degrees higher than in pre-industrial times

February was the warmest February ever recorded in the world, with an average temperature of 13.54 degrees. This is the ninth consecutive month that was the warmest in the month in question, according to EU Copernicus Climate Service.

February 2024 was 1.77 degrees warmer than the average February estimated during the pre-industrial revolution of 1850-1900. Above all, the beginning of the month was exceptionally warm. For four consecutive days, from February 8 to 11, temperatures were two degrees above pre-industrial levels.

Over the past 12 months, the average global temperature has been the highest on record, at 1.56 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

In Europe, the temperature was low In February it is 3.3 degrees higher than the average in February 1991-2020. The warmest weather was in central and eastern Europe.

Although this may seem striking, it is not really surprising because continued warming of the climate system inevitably causes the climate to respond to the actual concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. If we fail to stabilize them, we will inevitably face new global temperature records and their consequences, says Carlo Bontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

In the Arctic regions, the winter, from December to February, was the warmest in the world. The temperature was 0.78 degrees higher than average in the period 1991-2020.

The winter temperature in Europe was the second highest temperature ever recorded, after the winter of 2019/2020.

El Niño climate phenomenonWith the warming effect, it weakened but the marine air temperature remained at an unusually high level.

Ocean surface waters were record warm in February. The global average surface water temperature was the highest ever recorded: 21.06 degrees. The previous record, 20.98 degrees, was set in August 2023.

February was another month in which sea surface temperatures reached record highs, with the highest daily value ever measured. As emissions continue to rise, it is not surprising that ocean temperatures will rise, as the oceans absorb almost all of the heat from global warming, says Ola Kalin, a oceanographer at SMHI.

But what is surprising is how dramatically ocean temperatures have risen.

In large parts of Europe February was wetter than usual, including in Great Britain, southern Scandinavia and the Alps. Several storms with heavy rain caused significant damage and disruption.

The weather was drier than usual in most Mediterranean countries, and this also applies to areas in Iceland and northern Scandinavia.

Outside Europe, weather was wetter than normal in western and northeastern North America, parts of China and Japan, southern Africa and northern Australia.

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