April marked another “remarkable” month for global temperatures, continuing a record-breaking trend, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Despite the El Niño weather phenomenon weakening, temperatures in April were 1.58 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, highlighting the impact of human-caused climate change.
“Every month since last June has been the warmest such period on record, and the last 12 months were 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target,” stated Copernicus climatologist Julien Nicolas. Although this does not indicate a failure to meet the Paris targets, which are measured over decades, it underscores the severity of current global temperature conditions.
Europe experienced its second warmest April on record, following a trend that included March and the entire winter. Meanwhile, Asia faced severe heatwaves, and southern Brazil suffered from catastrophic floods. “Each additional degree of global warming brings more intense and frequent extreme weather events,” Nicolas explained.
While the natural El Niño pattern is moving towards a neutral condition, sea surface temperatures continue to set records, posing threats to marine ecosystems and the ocean’s ability to absorb greenhouse gases. “The decline of El Niño does not signal a reprieve from high temperatures,” Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo warned. The rest of the year remains uncertain, with potential shifts to La Niña, which could lower global temperatures.
This ongoing trend emphasizes the urgency of addressing climate change as conditions push global temperatures towards new records, with the potential for more extremes in the coming months.