Last 12 months were hottest world experienced in 125,000 years

A new report from Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators, reveals that the past 12 months have been the warmest on record in at least 125,000 years.

The study found that 99% of the global population experienced above-average temperatures between November 2022 and October 2023. Approximately 5.7 billion people, out of the world’s total population of 7.8 billion, were exposed to at least 30 days of higher-than-normal temperatures.

Last 12 months were hottest in world

Andrew Pershing, Vice President for Science at Climate Central, states that carbon pollution directly causes this record-breaking heat and warns that we are likely to continue breaking records, particularly due to the growing El Niño phenomenon. He also highlights that our planet has experienced the highest temperature in approximately 125,000 years.

The report also predicts that temperatures will continue to rise next year due to the growing El Niño, exposing billions to unusual heat. Extended periods of extreme heat were recorded globally, with Houston, Texas, experiencing the longest streak of 22 days. About a quarter of the world experienced heatwaves lasting at least five days, and 90% of the global population experienced at least 10 days of high temperatures, which would not have occurred without the influence of climate change.

Prolonged heatwaves can cause severe consequences, including thousands of deaths. For instance, according to the National Institutes of Health, each day that the temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit associates with approximately 1,373 deaths in the U.S. alone.

Global temperatures were about 1.32 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than pre-industrial averages, nearing the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Scientists warn that crossing this threshold could trigger an irreversible climate crisis, leading to the destruction of entire ecosystems worldwide.

While some regions will be more affected by the escalating climate crisis than others, the report emphasizes that everyone will experience its impacts. Pershing noted that while developing countries near the equator are most vulnerable, the occurrence of extreme heat in the U.S., India, Japan, and Europe underscores that no one is immune to climate change.

Condition of India

For this study, the situation of 70 cities located in 32 states and union territories of India was analyzed. During this period some data has come to light.

Climate Central's Climate Shift Index (CSI) of 5 for more than 100 days last year 12 cities with positive scores - Bengaluru (124), Visakhapatnam (109), Thane (101), Guwahati (112), Thiruvananthapuram (187), Aizawl (100), Imphal (139), Shillong (123), Port Blair (205), Panaji (108), Dispur (112), Kavaratti (190)

21 cities with CSI index score of 3 for more than 100 days last year

Mumbai (134), Bengaluru (148), Chennai (121), Visakhapatnam (155), Thane (143), Kalyan (129), Guwahati (180), Vijayawada (106), Mysuru (118), Bhubaneswar (107), Thiruvananthapuram (242), Agartala (107), Aizawl (147), Imphal (209), Shillong (204), Port Blair (257), Kohima (150), Panaji (177), Daman (110), Dispur (180). , Kavaratti (241)

Climate Change Index level-three-plus exposed 100% of the population of 30 states/UTs, excluding the population of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, for more than five days.

During these 12 months, more than 500 million people in 200 cities around the world have endured a period of extreme heat. More than 500 million people in 200 cities experienced extreme heat during this period. At least five days of daily temperatures were 99 percent above 30-year norms.

No major city in the world could match the extreme heat that Houston experienced for 22 consecutive days between July 31 and August 21. After this, New Orleans and two Indonesian cities Jakarta and Tangerang continued to swelter in extreme heat for 17 consecutive days. Austin (16 days), San Antonio (15 days), and Dallas (14 days) were also among the cities with the longest periods of extreme heat.

In each of these cities, the climate change index reached its maximum level of five on every day of this period, indicating that climate change has increased the likelihood of this extreme heat event by at least five times.

Global fingerprints of climate change

Climate Central, a nonprofit climate science and news organization, has released an analysis of climate data from November 2022 to October 2023. The report reveals that this 12-month period was the warmest on record, with billions of people worldwide experiencing extreme heat waves that were likely intensified by climate change.

The study found that 90% of people experienced at least 10 days of extreme heat, temperatures that are now three times more likely than before the Industrial Revolution.

Nearly 75% of people endured such heat for 30 days or more. These prolonged heatwaves have been linked to disastrous consequences, including overwhelmed hospitals, thousands of deaths, mass displacement due to floods, and food insecurity in Africa due to drought.

The report also highlighted that average temperatures over the past year have met or exceeded the 1.5 degree-Celsius warming threshold in nearly a dozen countries in Europe and northern Africa.

Particularly, Switzerland and South Sudan experienced temperatures averaging 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than preindustrial levels from May through October.

Data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service further emphasized the accelerating warming trend. October marked the fourth consecutive month of record global warmth, with temperatures averaging 1.7 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial norm.

2023 temperatures break 2016 record

Global temperatures for the first 10 months of 2023 averaged 1.43 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, surpassing the record set in 2016.

Scientists predict that this warming trend will not slow down, especially with the ongoing El Niño climate pattern, which releases vast amounts of Pacific Ocean heat into the atmosphere. This could potentially lead to even higher temperatures in 2024.

As Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central, stated, "El Niño is going to push these temperatures higher. We’re going to continue to set these records as we move on into next year.”

Climate change heated the entire Earth

• The past 12 months (November 1, 2022 to October 31, 2023) were Earth’s hottest on record, with the global average temperature being 1.3°C (2.3°F) above pre-industrial temperatures.
• 90% of the global population experienced at least 10 days of temperatures strongly affected by climate change.
• 73% of the global population experienced more than a month’s worth of these temperatures.
• One in four people experienced an extreme heat streak that lasted at least five days and was strongly influenced by carbon pollution.
• El Niño is just beginning to boost temperatures, and its effects will be felt more next year.
• Nearly half (49%) of the U.S. population experienced 10 or more days of temperatures strongly affected by climate change.
• Five of the 10 large global cities that experienced the most days with extreme heat were in the U.S.
• Houston, Texas experienced the longest streak of extreme heat made more likely by carbon pollution: 22 days.
• Jamaica had the highest average CSI of any country analyzed, indicating that human-caused climate change made those temperatures at least four times more likely.
• The influence of carbon pollution on heat was strongest in the developing world, but extreme heat driven by climate change is also accelerating among the world’s richest countries.
• Nine countries had an average CSI level of 1 or higher during the last six months analyzed (May to October 2023): Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Mexico, India, Japan, Italy, Brazil, France, and Turkey.

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