According to reports from the European Union climate agency, March 2024 has been identified as the warmest March on record globally. This carries on a trend of ten consecutive months of unprecedented warmth.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that the average surface air temperature reached 14.14 degrees Celsius worldwide, surpassing the 1991-2020 average by 0.73 degrees Celsius and surpassing the previous record set in March 2016 by 0.10 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the global average temperature over the past twelve months, spanning from April 2023 to March 2024, reached unprecedented levels, standing at 0.70 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.58 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900.
Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of Copernicus Climate Service (C3S), emphasized that March 2024 continues the trend of record-breaking climate events, with the tenth consecutive month of setting new temperature records. Burgess highlighted that urgent action to curb greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to prevent further warming.
Furthermore, the agency noted that Europe experienced its second warmest March on record, with temperatures exceeding the March 1991-2020 average by 2.12 degrees Celsius. Despite being slightly cooler than March 2014, temperatures in central and eastern Europe remained notably above average.
Beyond Europe, regions such as eastern North America, Greenland, eastern Russia, Central America, parts of South America, various African regions, southern Australia, and segments of Antarctica experienced above-average temperatures.
Despite a weakening El Nino in the eastern equatorial Pacific, marine air temperatures remained significantly elevated, with the global sea surface temperature reaching a historic high of 21.07 degrees Celsius for March, surpassing the previous record set in February.
(With ANI inputs)
