What to Know About February Being the Hottest Month on Record
The Earth has witnessed its warmest February on record, marking the ninth consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures, as reported by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The persistent and extraordinary global warmth is attributed to a combination of human-caused warming and the El Niño climate pattern, raising concerns among scientists about the planet surpassing critical climate thresholds. The average global air temperature for February reached 13.5 degrees Celsius (56.3 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record set in 2016 by 0.12 degrees Celsius (0.22 degrees Fahrenheit). The warmth observed over the last 12 months is unprecedented, registering 1.56 degrees Celsius (2.8 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than preindustrial levels.
This prolonged period of warming, spanning both land and ocean areas since June, has heightened worries about potential climate tipping points and the prospect of an active Atlantic hurricane season. The winter season, encompassing December through February, was also identified as the warmest on record, exceeding the average by 0.78 degrees Celsius (1.4 degrees Fahrenheit). The alarming trend has extended into early March, with numerous temperature records being broken globally.
A recent report from Climate Central, a non-profit research organization, reveals that more than half of the global population, exceeding 4.8 billion people, encountered elevated winter temperatures that would be highly improbable without human-induced climate change. Additionally, for 1.7 billion individuals, the warmth experienced on at least 31 days during the winter became five times more likely due to human-influenced climate change. Notably, the winter season has been recorded as the warmest on record in the United States, witnessing over 200 locations in the Midwest and Northeast breaking records for winter warmth.
The report highlights the extraordinary and unprecedented nature of the current climatic conditions, with thousands of records shattered worldwide. Approximately 85% of the U.S. population, or 283 million people, experienced at least one winter day with warm temperatures made at least two times more probable by climate change. In addition, a recent analysis revealed a near-record low amount of cold air about a mile above the Northern Hemisphere during this winter.
The world's oceans have maintained record-warm temperatures, with February marking the highest average global sea surface temperature for any month. The North Atlantic has experienced a year-long record-high sea surface temperature, and warm ocean waters in the tropical Atlantic, already as warm as typical July temperatures, have raised concerns about a potentially active hurricane season. Antarctic sea ice, responding to the warming oceans, reached its third-lowest annual minimum extent in February.
