Copernicus: the last 8 years have been the hottest on Earth in the entire history of observations

The climate monitoring service of the European Union Copernicus reported that the last eight years have been the warmest on Earth in the entire history of observations, AFP reports. As for 2022, it became the fifth among the hottest, judging by the records that have been kept since the XIX century.

According to the Copernicus annual report, France, Great Britain, Spain and Italy set new average temperature records last year, and Europe as a whole experienced the second hottest year on record. Abnormal heat across the continent was aggravated by severe drought. Over the past 30 years, the temperature in Europe has more than doubled compared to the global average: the temperature is growing faster here than on other continents.

In the Middle East, China, Central Asia and North Africa, last year was also a year of unprecedented heat. So, in Pakistan and in the north of India, the spring heat with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius stood for two months. This was followed by a flood in Pakistan that engulfed a third of the country and affected 33 million people.

Record temperatures were also observed in the polar regions of the Earth. At the Vostok station, located in East Antarctica, a temperature of 17.7 degrees Celsius was recorded – this is the highest figure in the entire 65-year history of the station. Sea ice at the South Pole has reached the lowest minimum extent in the entire 44-year history of satellite observations. On the opposite side of the globe, in Greenland, September temperatures were 8 degrees Celsius above average, which caused accelerated ice melting and sea level rise.

According to Copernicus, the hottest years in the entire history of observations in the world are – in descending order – 2016, 2020, 2019 and 2017.

Atmospheric concentrations of the two main greenhouse gases leading to global warming – carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) – have also reached record levels. CO2 levels have reached the highest level in more than 2 million years. Methane has grown to a level that has not been on Earth for the last 800,000 years. Greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise without any signs of slowing down, despite efforts to decarbonize the global economy.