The month of October has been exceptionally warm globally, with the EU’s Climate Monitoring Service marking the month as the warmest October they have recorded, in a dataset of measurements going back to 1940.
The average temperature on land was measured in October this year at an average of 15.3 degrees Celsius, which is 0.4 degrees warmer than the previous record in 2019.
– There are completely exceptional deviations in average temperature this month, just like in September. We see that we are heading for the warmest year ever recorded, says Samantha Burgess.
Global ocean temperature records
The average global sea temperature also hit a record in October, and sea ice around Antarctica was also at a record low during the period, for the sixth consecutive month.
– We are also heading into the southern globe’s summer months, and have an El Niño with warmer than normal seas. All in all, this leads to us seeing it get even warmer even into 2024.
More extreme weather events
Samantha Burgess is now warning of more extreme storms and floods, and more heat, drought and bushfires – extreme weather events that many around the world have already experienced this year.
– We know it will happen. Not exactly where, but temperatures this warm make those events increase. We really need ambitious climate plans now to stop warming. And every tenth of a degree makes a difference.
In the clip above, listen to what signs Samantha Burgess sees that global warming is going faster than expected.