SOURCE: The Independent
DATE: December 7, 2020
SNIP: November 2020 has been the world’s warmest since records began, and this year is on track to become the hottest year overall, according to the European Union’s climate monitoring service Copernicus.
Europe experienced its warmest autumn on record, while the Arctic and Siberia continued to be “significantly” warmer than average, scientists from the Copernicus Climate Change Service said.
Meanwhile, Arctic sea ice saw its second-lowest November extent.
The service said by the end of the year, it is “almost certain” 2020 will become the hottest calendar year on record overall.
For Europe, 2020 is 0.5C warmer than the January – November period for 2019, the warmest calendar year on record, and at least 0.4C warmer than the average temperature in 2006 which was previously the warmest autumn.
The scientists said with just one month left of the year, the satellite data has revealed 2020 is roughly on a par with 2016 – the warmest calendar year on record, closely followed by 2019.
Based on data from several global datasets and including data up until October, the World Meteorological Organisation announced last week 2020 is on track to become one of the world’s three warmest years on record.
On 2 December the WMO warned: “Ocean heat is at record levels and more than 80 per cent of the global ocean experienced a marine heatwave at some time in 2020, with widespread repercussions for marine ecosystems already suffering from more acidic waters due to carbon dioxide absorption.”