"On the heels of Earth’s warmest year, January was the eighth month in a row in which global temperatures blew past previous records."
"The exceptional warmth that first enveloped the planet last summer is continuing strong into 2024: Last month clocked in as the hottest January ever measured, the European Union climate monitor announced on Thursday.
It was the hottest January on record for the oceans, too, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Sea surface temperatures were just slightly lower than in August 2023, the oceans’ warmest month on the books. And sea temperatures kept on climbing in the first few days of February, surpassing the daily records set last August.
The oceans absorb the great majority of the extra heat that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap near Earth’s surface, making them a reliable gauge of how much and how quickly we are warming the planet. Warmer oceans provide more fuel for hurricanes and atmospheric river storms and can disrupt marine life."
Raymond Zhong and Elena Shao report for the New York Times February 7, 2024.
SEE ALSO:
"Have We Crossed a Dangerous Warming Threshold? Here’s What to Know." (New York Times)
"New UN Weather Agency Chief Says Rate Of Global Warming Is Speeding Up" (AP)
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