Record-Breaking September Heatwaves Point to Prolonged Global Warming Crisis in 2023
September's scorching temperatures secured 2023's position as the hottest year on record, setting the stage for an unprecedented climate milestone
The transition into fall in the Northern Hemisphere has not brought relief from extreme heat. Recent data reveals that September was the hottest on record, marking the fourth consecutive month of unprecedented heat. This trend positions 2023 on a trajectory to become the hottest year ever recorded. The latest data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that September surpassed the previous monthly record set in 2020 by an astonishing 0.5 degrees Celsius. This makes it the most unusually hot month since Copernicus began recording in 1940.
"The exceptional temperatures recorded in September, which surpassed previous records by a significant margin, added to the already remarkable summer heat," Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of Copernicus, remarked in a statement.
People are cooling off with water near the Pantheon in Rome, Italy, on Aug. 22, 2023, as the country experiences its third major heatwave of the summer. This comes amidst Italy's ongoing record-breaking two-year period of extreme heat. (Image credit: Jin Mamengni/Xinhua/Getty Images)
The global air temperature in September reached an average of 16.38 degrees Celsius (61.45 Fahrenheit), surpassing the 1991 to 2020 average by 0.93 degrees Celsius and the pre-industrial September average by 1.75 degrees Celsius. This makes it the hottest September on record, resembling an unusually hot July.
The temperature in September was significantly higher than the 1.5 degrees Celsius target set by countries in the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming. Although the agreement primarily addresses long-term average temperatures, the unusually hot September, following the hottest summer on record, provides a glimpse of what the world can anticipate as extreme weather intensifies due to soaring temperatures.
In September alone, numerous regions experienced catastrophic flooding, resulting in thousands of deaths in Libya and dozens in Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Canada faced an unprecedented wildfire season, while parts of South America endured scorching heat and record-breaking rainfall led to extreme flooding in New York.
A man and child fill plastic bottles with water during a heat wave in Soure city at the Marajo island in Brazil on September 30.)
In September, ocean temperatures soared to unprecedented levels. The average sea surface temperature peaked at 20.92 degrees Celsius (69.66 Fahrenheit), setting a new record for September and ranking as the second-highest ever recorded for any month, following August of this year. Additionally, Antarctic sea ice experienced record-breaking lows for this period.
Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist, expressed his astonishment on X (formerly Twitter) this Tuesday, stating, "In my professional opinion, this month has been absolutely mind-blowingly astonishing." The high temperatures show no signs of abating, even in October. European nations, such as Spain, Poland, Austria, and France, have already shattered their previous October temperature records, as reported by Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist and weather historian who monitors extreme temperatures.
What Europe experienced in the first three days of October was "one of the most extreme (climate) events in European history," Herrera posted on X on Tuesday.
An artist sits beneath the shade of an umbrella on Westminster Bridge during hot weather in London on September 6.
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It is highly likely that this year will break the record as the hottest year ever recorded. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the probability of achieving this milestone is over 93%.
The exceptionally hot September has propelled 2023 to the unenviable position of being in first place, with temperatures expected to surpass the pre-industrial average by approximately 1.4 degrees Celsius, states Burgess.
A chimney from the Linden Cogeneration Plant is seen in Linden New Jersey April 22, 2022.
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The recent surge in high temperatures can be attributed in part to El Niño, a natural climate pattern originating in the tropical Pacific Ocean that has a warming impact. However, underlying this pattern is the long-term consequence of climate change caused by human activities. "The continuous breaking of temperature records is a direct result of our ongoing reliance on fossil fuels. It really is that straightforward," stated Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment in the UK.
She told CNN that the alarming extent to which heat records are being surpassed is of great significance, stating that the consequences include the loss of human lives and ecosystem destruction. To evaluate the progress made towards climate objectives, countries will convene in Dubai for the United Nations COP28 climate summit in December. However, a recent report suggests that the world is currently far from achieving its targets.
Otto emphasized that the unprecedented extent to which the September record was shattered should serve as a strong reminder to policymakers and negotiators in preparation for COP28. He underscored the necessity for a unanimous decision to gradually eliminate the use of fossil fuels.
