February 2024 breaks 'hottest of all' record

February 2024 has rang climatic bells as it has been declared the warmest February ever recorded globally, marking the ninth consecutive month of record temperatures, according to scientists, The Guardian reported. 

According to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service not only were global sea surface temperatures at an all-time high, but February was 0.81°C above the 1991-2020 levels and 1.77°C warmer than the pre-industrial average for the month (1850-1900).

The average global temperature for the past 12 months, from March 2023 to February 2024, reached a record 1.56°C above pre-industrial levels, temporarily surpassing the critical 1.5°C threshold associated with severe long-term climate change impacts.

Copernicus reported "exceptionally high" daily global average temperatures during the first half of February, reaching 2°C above 1850-1900 levels on four days from 8 to 11 February.

European temperatures for the month were 3.3°C above the 1991-2020 average, with central and eastern Europe experiencing temperatures well above average. The winter of December 2023 to February 2024 stands as the second warmest on record for Europe.

Notably, average global sea surface temperatures for February, excluding the polar regions, hit an unprecedented 21.06°C, surpassing the previous record set in August 2023. Carlo Buontempo, the director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, emphasised the continuous warming trend, highlighting the need to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations to avert further temperature extremes.

Dr Friederike Otto from Imperial College London underscored the urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels to mitigate the intensification of extreme weather events linked to climate change.