The past eight years were the hottest on record in the world, with Western Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and northwest Africa hit hardest, while 2022 was the fifth warmest year, according to a report from the Program Copernicus (C3S) of the European Union against climate change.
During the period 2015-2022, each year it registered at least an increase in its average temperature of more than one degree Celsius compared to the pre-industrial average, according to the AFP news agency.
Meanwhile, the year 2022 is the fifth hottest on recordwith an average of 1.2º C above the pre-industrial average, according to the report of highlights of the world climate published in the last hours.
The text indicated that 2022 “has been a year of extremes, with many temperature records broken and a continuous increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”
“We are already suffering the devastating consequences of global warming”said Samantha Burgess, deputy head of C3S.
These data “clearly demonstrate that to avoid the worst consequences, Society will have to urgently reduce carbon dioxide emissions and quickly adapt to climate change.”he added.
December #Temperature highlights from the #CopernicusClimate Exchange Service.
Last month:
? was Europe’s 7th warmest December on record
? temperatures were above average in southern Europe
? but below-average in northern Europe.For more information ? https://t.co/2DGRP8sg9L pic.twitter.com/lOO6Co5tl2
— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) January 10, 2023
Latin America and the Caribbean remained “relatively outside of these records” during a cycle basically dominated by the phenomenon of The girl in the Pacific Ocean, which generates some cooling, added AFP.
In Europe, however, 2022 was “the second hottest year” according to official records, while the summer months broke records in Britain and France, Portugal and Spain suffered major droughts.
Globally, Pakistan suffered historic floods, central and eastern China were subjected to heat waves, while Nigeria suffered from deluges.
In turn, La Niña brought cooler than usual temperatures to eastern Australia and heavy rain.
And further south, “the extent of sea ice Antarctic reached a record low level” when in February 2022 the most precarious ice surface was recorded “in 44 years of satellite observation”.
The report confirms the forecasts of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published in November and described as a “chronicle of climate chaos” by the UN Secretary General, António Guterres.
2022…
The hottest year in recorded history for hundreds of millions of Europeans.
Zooming out reveals the bigger picture though. pic.twitter.com/vMmYATsULj
—Scott Duncan (@ScottDuncanWX) January 3, 2023
