Global temperature records shattered in November 2023: Reports

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) recently released its monthly climate bulletin, revealing unprecedented global temperature highs in November 2023. The report, based on the ERA5 dataset and billions of measurements worldwide, underscores the urgent need for climate action.

November 2023 – Breaking Records

November 2023 emerged as the warmest on record globally, with an average surface air temperature of 14.22°C. This marked a significant 0.85°C increase above the 1991-2020 average and surpassed the previous record set in 2020 by 0.32°C.

The global temperature anomaly for November 2023 was comparable to October 2023 and only slightly lower than the peak reached in September 2023. Alarmingly, November 2023 was approximately 1.75°C warmer than the estimated November average for the pre-industrial period (1850-1900).

For the calendar year up to November, the global mean temperature for 2023 stands as the highest on record, surpassing the 2016 record by 0.13°C.

Sea Surface Temperature Records

The average sea surface temperature for November 2023 over 60°S–60°N set a new record, being 0.25°C warmer than the second warmest November recorded in 2015.

The report also notes the continuation of the El Niño event in the equatorial Pacific, with anomalies remaining lower than those observed in the 2015 event.

The boreal autumn (September–November 2023) was declared the warmest globally, recording an average temperature of 15.30°C, surpassing the average by 0.88°C.

In Europe, the autumn of 2023 ranked as the second warmest on record, just 0.03°C cooler than the autumn of 2020.

Arctic sea ice extent for November 2023 ranked as the 8th lowest, registering 4% below the average. Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice extent was the second lowest for November, standing at 9% below the average.

Hydrological Highlights

November 2023 witnessed above-average precipitation in most of Europe, with Storm Ciarán causing floods in regions, including Italy.

Conversely, drier-than-average conditions prevailed in parts of the USA, central and eastern Asia, as well as extratropical southern hemisphere regions, notably in South America.

Throughout the autumn of 2023, precipitation exceeded average levels in various European regions, the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia, and Türkiye. However, North America, central and easternmost Asia, Australia, South America, and southern Africa experienced drier-than-average conditions.

Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S, highlighted that 2023 witnessed six record-breaking months and two record-breaking seasons, making it the warmest year in recorded history. C3S Director Carlo Buontempo emphasized the necessity of achieving net-zero emissions promptly to mitigate escalating climate risks.

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