Sizzling September equals warm temperature record

Surface air temperature anomaly for September 2019
Surface air temperature anomaly for September 2019   -  Copyright  Copernicus
By Rafael Cereceda  & Sandrine Amiel

"With continued greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting impact on global temperatures, records will continue to be broken in the future,” warned Copernicus, the EU climate change service.

From Iceland to Morocco (45ºC), including the United States, Mongolia, Hong Kong or Kuwait (47.2º), global average temperatures equalled records across the world this September.

"Global average temperatures for this September are on par with the previously warmest September 2016, "according to Copernicus, the European Union's climate change service.

September was about 0.57°C degrees above average, the agency said in its latest newsletter.

"This is close to 1.2°C above the pre-industrial level as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)."

Across Europe, temperatures were above seasonal averages almost everywhere, except in parts of Norway, Sweden and the far east of the continent.

"Regions with most markedly above-average temperatures include central and eastern USA, the Mongolian plateau and parts of the Arctic," Copernicus said.

Only a few regions in Russia and Antarctica had below-average temperatures.

Copernicus ECMWF, EU

This new record confirms trends observed in recent months. June 2019 was the warmest ever recorded, July the hottest in history and August the second warmest.

“The recent series of record-breaking temperatures is an alarming reminder of the long-term warming trend that can be observed on a global level," said Jean-Noël Thépaut, Director of Copernicus-European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

"With continued greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting impact on global temperatures, records will continue to be broken in the future,” Thépaut warned.

You might also like

Hot Topic

Learn more about

climate change