Scientists find that 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history. Image: Geographical Magazine
(The Post News)- Government agencies announced on Friday that, 2024 was the hottest in recorded history. Therefore, making it two consecutive years of global temperatures breaking records. Since 1880, 2024 was deemed the hottest year. Scientists, as well as NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came to this conclusion.
The average land and ocean surface temperature of 2024, bested the 2023 record by 0.11°C
These back-to-back broken records form part of a continued warming trajectory that climate scientists have been warning about for a long time. Several climate models have predicted it.
Although every corner of the earth has been warmer in the previous year, there were some regional differences. North America, Europe, Africa, and South America had all their warmest year in 2024, whilst Asia and the Arctic encountered their second-warmest year.
According to NOAA, the overall warming trend is evident.
The new record isn’t much of a surprise after a year beset by extremes. The earth notched 15 consecutive months of monthly temperature records. Scientists from NASA called it an “unprecedented heat streak.”.
El Niño caused the hot streak in 2024. The El Niño normally comprises of background warming from human-caused climate change. Therefore, making temperature extremes both more likely and more intense.
In the last few years, climate change has intensified heat waves on each continent. It has deepened drought in already dry parts of the planet, intensified storms and hurricanes, and has sparked deadly wildfires.
According to NOAA and NASA scientists, record-setting warmth may ease up in 2025 with the return of La Niña, El Niño’s counterpart. Preliminary calculations have suggested that there is only a 5% chance or less that 2025 will top 2024 as the hottest year recorded, although there is a 95% chance that it will still rank in the top 5.
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