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March marked the latest record-breaking month in a streak of ten consecutive months since June, with global temperatures soaring to unprecedented heights, according to the European Union's climate agency. 

 

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said March's average temperature of 14.14 degrees Celsius was 1.68 degrees Celsius higher than the month's average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period.

 

Moreover, it surpassed the March average for the period 1991-2020 by 0.73 degrees Celsius and exceeded the previous record set in March 2016 by 0.10 degrees Celsius.

 

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"The global average temperature for the past 12 months (April 2023-March 2024) is the highest recorded, at 0.70 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.58 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average," the climate agency said.

 

In January, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that the global average temperature surpassed the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius for an entire year, marking a significant milestone in climate change. 

 

This increase in temperature has already elevated Earth's global surface temperature by approximately 1.15 degrees Celsius compared to the 1850-1900 average, a level not witnessed for over 125,000 years, predating the most recent ice age. The repercussions of this warming are evident in the surge of record droughts, wildfires, and floods worldwide.

 

The rapid escalation of greenhouse gas concentrations, primarily carbon dioxide and methane, in the atmosphere is identified as the primary driver behind the rise in global temperature. In 2023, the planet experienced its warmest year on record in the 174-year observational history, with the global average near-surface temperature soaring to 1.45 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline (1850-1900).

 

Looking ahead, scientists predict that 2024 may set a new temperature record as El Niño, a periodic warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically exerts its most significant influence on global climate during the second year of its development.

 

There is a chance of La Nina developing later in the year.

 

Scientists closely tracking the development in India have said La Nina conditions setting in by June-August could mean better monsoon rains this year compared to 2023.