Planet Experiences Hottest March Ever Recorded, Continuing 10-Month Streak
March marked a milestone in the ongoing climate crisis as the world witnessed its warmest month ever recorded, capping a streak of 10 consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), each of the last 10 months has surpassed previous records, with March standing out as the hottest. Notably, the 12-month period ending in March also ranked as the planet’s warmest on record, with the global average temperature soaring 1.58 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels from 1850 to 1900. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, expressed concern over this long-term trend, emphasizing the urgent need to address climate change as temperatures continue to rise at an alarming rate.
The data from C3S, spanning back to 1940, confirmed that March 2024 was indeed the hottest March since the pre-industrial era. This unprecedented warmth has been attributed primarily to human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, with factors like the El Niño weather pattern exacerbating the situation. Despite El Niño’s weakening in March, global sea surface temperatures reached a record high, underscoring the ongoing impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. Marine scientists have warned of a potential mass coral bleaching event in the Southern Hemisphere, further highlighting the devastating consequences of rising temperatures. Climate scientist Friederike Otto stressed the urgency of reducing fossil fuel emissions to mitigate the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, emphasizing the need for immediate action to address this global crisis before it worsens further.
