September shattered global heat record — and by a record margin
Early analyses show global warmth surged far above previous records in September — even further than what scientists said seemed like astonishing increases in July and August.
The planet’s average temperature shattered the previous September record by more than half a degree Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit), which is the largest monthly margin ever observed.
Temperatures around the world last month were at levels closer to normal for July according to separate data analyses by European and Japanese climate scientists.
September’s average temperature was about 0.88 degrees Celsius (1.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above 1991-2020 levels — or about 1.7 degrees Celsius (3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal from before industrialization and the widespread use of fossil fuels.
The September data shows an acceleration in the warming trend that rang alarm bells this summer as the planet’s temperature reached its warmest level in modern records and probably in thousands of years.
Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather called the September warming “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas.” [Continue reading…]