Europe's climate change service has found 2024 is 'virtually certain' to be the warmest on record. Copernicus analysed billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world to complete its latest dataset.
According to their calculations, the average temperature anomaly for the rest of the year would have to drop to almost zero for 2024 not to be the warmest on record.
It comes as Northern Ireland is experiencing very mild weather for November with high temperatures up to 18 degrees according to the Met Office.
READ MORE: Co Antrim community to fight Supreme Court bid to overturn gas caverns ruling
READ MORE: Agriculture 'making unsustainable demands on NI environment' says watchdog
Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said: "After 10 months of 2024 it is now virtually certain that 2024 will be the warmest year on record and the first year of more than 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels according to the ERA5 dataset.
"This marks a new milestone in global temperature records and should serve as a catalyst to raise ambition for the upcoming Climate Change Conference, COP29."
Copernicus data shows October 2024 was the second-warmest October globally (behind October 2023) with an average air temperature of 15.25 degrees, while in Europe it was the fifth warmest October on record at 1.23°C above the 1991-2020 average.
Temperatures across Europe were mostly above average, while there was above average rains last month across the Iberian Peninsula, France, northern Italy, Norway, northern Sweden, east of the Black Sea and the region around Valencia, Spain which led to severe flash flooding with over 200 fatalities.
Meanwhile Arctic sea ice was 19% below average and sea surface temperatures reached their second highest value on record for October, at just 0.10°C below October 2023.
Click this link or scan the QR code to receive breaking news and top stories from Belfast Live. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
English (United States) ·