World Experiences Warmest January on Record

According to measurements conducted by the European Union's Copernicus satellite monitoring system, it was reported that last month was the "warmest January" recorded to date.

In a statement from Copernicus, it was noted that the average surface air temperature for last month was measured at 13.14 degrees Celsius.

This measurement was stated to be 0.70 degrees above the January average for the period from 1991 to 2020, and 0.12 degrees higher than the previous warmest January recorded in 2020.

The statement also highlighted that the last 8 months have consecutively been the warmest months recorded, with the global average temperature over the past 12 months (February 2023 - January 2024) measured to be 0.64 degrees Celsius above the average for the period from 1991 to 2020.

REGIONAL DISPARITIES

Temperatures in Europe varied between northern and southern regions last month. While temperatures in Scandinavian countries were well below the 1991-2020 average, they were significantly above this average in southern countries.

Temperatures were considerably above average in Eastern Canada, Northwest Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, while they were below average in much of Western Canada, Central America, and Eastern Siberia.

The statement included a warning from Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, stating that "rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop the increase in global temperatures."