As per the announcement made by the Scientists at the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) on October 7, 2020, September 2020 was the warmest month on record globally. The year 2020 has seen three record-breaking months, with January, May, and September being the hottest respective months ever recorded while June and April were virtually tied. September 2020 was 0.63 °C (1.13 Fahrenheit) warmer than average, making it 0.05 °C (0.09 Fahrenheit) warmer than September 2019 and 0.08 °C (1.4 Fahrenheit) warmer than September 2016, previously the warmest and second warmest Septembers.
The European Union’s Earth observation programme also labelled September 2020 as the hottest September in recorded history.
September 2020, the hottest ever on record
During September 2020, temperatures were relatively high over the north-eastern Pacific Ocean and over the ocean east of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and Japan. Temperatures were ‘exceptionally high’ in the same month over northern Siberia and the Laptev and East Siberian Seas.
The Middle East also experienced ‘extremely warm’ temperatures, with Turkey, Israel, and Jordan reporting record-breaking temperatures. Even North America experienced higher than normal temperatures. Resulting is many climatic catastrophes.
Climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions has picked up pace in recent decades.
This year i.e., in 2020, record-setting wildfires scorched the US West. Several active Atlantic hurricane seasons were recorded as well. Arctic sea ice also plummeted to its second-lowest levels on record, slipping below four million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles) for only the second time since satellite records began in 1978.
The report revealed that 19 of the last 20 years were the warmest on record, ever since reading started being taken from the 19th century onwards. On average, global temperatures have risen 0.2 °C every decade.
Climate change has also disrupted regional weather patterns, resulting in more sunshine beating down on the Greenland ice sheet, which is melting and shedding mass into the ocean more quickly than at any time in the last 12,000 years.
Courtesy: CNBC, India Today