Until August, the planet had the 3 hottest months in a row since there are records

Last August, the planet had the three hottest consecutive months since records exist, according to data confirmed by the Copernicus climate change service.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced this Wednesday that by a considerable margin, last month was the warmest August since measurements have been made and the second warmest of all months, after this last July broke all records.

August has been estimated to have been 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era between 1850 and 1900, and the year 2023 is so far considered (with measurements taken from January to August) the second warmest after 2016.

In both years – 2016 and 2023 – El Niño has developed, a powerful climate phenomenon that increases the temperatures of the waters of the equatorial eastern Pacific and accentuates certain meteorological phenomena in different parts of the planet, such as abundant rains or droughts.

sea ​​temperature

Observations from the Copernicus service, funded by the European Union, indicate that last August monthly sea surface temperatures were the highest ever recorded – compared to any other month of the year – and stood at 20.98 degrees.

Thus, last month the previous record temperatures, corresponding to March 2016, were exceeded every day.

Another aspect that reflects the dramatic changes in the climate is the reduction of the Arctic ice cover, which remains at a record low level for this time of year, with a monthly value 12% lower than average.

This is the largest negative anomaly for August since satellite observations began in that area of ​​the planet in the late 1970s.

Summer of extremes

The Secretary General of the WMO, the Finnish scientist Petteri Taalas, recalled that the northern hemisphere has experienced “a summer of all extremes” in the last two months and that this has occurred before the El Niño phenomenon unfolds its full impact. , which is generally recorded in the second year of its development, that is, in 2024.

“What we are observing is a clear consequence of the warming of climate systems,” said the director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Carlos Buontempo, quoted in a statement. With EFE

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