August Joint Hottest Month
August declared joint hottest month on record due to climate change and El Niño
Introduction To Record Heat
August has been declared the joint hottest month on record, according to the European Union's climate service, Copernicus. This record-breaking heat is attributed to a combination of climate change and the rising influence of El Niño, which has pushed temperatures 1.65C above pre-industrial levels. This surpasses the critical 1.5C threshold agreed upon by countries to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. While a single month above 1.5C does not mean it has been permanently crossed, it shows a trend towards breaching that limit.
Causes Of The Record Heat
The record heat in August was driven by a combination of climate change and the rising influence of El Niño. El Niño is a natural climate pattern in which a band of the eastern Pacific turns unusually warm, releasing vast amounts of stored ocean heat into the atmosphere and nudging global temperatures upwards for around a year. The current El Niño is still strengthening and could become one of the most powerful on record, according to the Copernicus team. The biggest impact of this natural phenomenon on global temperatures is expected to hit over the coming year, meaning the current run of records may have further to go.
Impacts Of The Record Heat
The record heat in August has had significant impacts on communities, economies, and ecosystems across the world. In western Europe, the heat capped off the warmest summer on record, with high temperatures pushing the season past the deadly heat of 2003. The heat across the UK and Europe disrupted schools, strained hospitals, hit food production, fueled fires and drought, and claimed tens of thousands of lives. The heat also linked to a glacier collapse that destroyed several towns in Nepal and Tibet, with at least 1300 people confirmed dead and more than 5500 still missing.
Future Outlook And Call To Action
The record heat in August is a clear indication of the need for urgent action to address climate change. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has called on leaders to reverse the rise in greenhouse gas emissions and invest more in adapting to the current impacts. The United Nations Environment Programme has also stated that the world will "overshoot" the Paris Agreement goal of preventing warming of more than 1.5C and should now focus on reversing this warming at a later date. Experts agree that until fossil fuel use is stopped, records will continue to tumble, and extremes will worsen faster than communities can adapt.
Conclusion And Next Steps
In conclusion, the record heat in August is a stark reminder of the need for urgent action to address climate change. The combination of climate change and El Niño has pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels, with significant impacts on communities, economies, and ecosystems. It is essential that leaders take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in adapting to the current impacts. The future of our planet depends on it.
Sources
This is an original synthesis by Qivorane based on reporting from the outlets below.