The world had record temperatures for 12 months

GGlobal temperatures have broken records for 12 consecutive months and last month was the hottest May on record, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced on Wednesday.

In May, the global average temperature was 1.52 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, marking the 11th consecutive month in which the global average temperature was at least 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. The average global temperature between June 2023 and May 2024 was 1.63 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, a worrying trend that could mean the world is approaching the thresholds set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change .

The impact has already been felt around the world. The United States faces another summer of extreme heat along with wildfires in California and a “explosive”Atlantic hurricane season. Last month, deadly floods killed hundreds of people in Afghanistan, Brazil and Indonesia, while dozens of people died in India due to extreme heat.

But this could be just the beginning, experts warn. “This series of warmer months will be remembered as comparatively cold,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, in a statement. declaration.

Buontempo says the trend is “shocking but not surprising” and noted that while the record-breaking streak may be halted, “the overall signature of climate change remains and there is no sign in sight of a change in this trend.”

Despite rising temperatures, there may still be time to make a change – as long as significant work is done to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. “…if we manage to stabilize GHG concentrations in the atmosphere in the very near future, we could return to these “cold” temperatures by the end of the century”, said Buontempo.

The report appears as the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres made a call for more ambitious climate action – noting that there is an 80% probability that at least one year between 2024 and 2028 will temporarily exceed 1.5°C, and a 47% probability that global temperatures have reached average throughout the five-year period 2024-2028. annual period will exceed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era.

“Last year, each turn of the calendar increased the temperature,” said Guterres. “Our planet is trying to tell us something. But we don’t seem to be listening. We are breaking global temperature records and reaping the hurricane.”