
This year's March was the warmest on record. The news is confirmed by the meteorological service of the European Union Copernicus, emphasizing that the average global temperature last month was 14.4 degrees Celsius, higher by 0.73°C compared to the 30-year average 1991-2020. According to Copernicus, this is the tenth month in a row to be classified as the hottest ever recorded.
Starting from June 2023, Earth has "broken" monthly heat records. A major contribution to this phenomenon is related to marine heat waves over large areas of the oceans. Prior to the release of the Copernicus data, 2023 had been confirmed as the hottest year on record since 1950, with an increase in global average temperature close to 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels.
Drought fueled by climate change in the Amazon rainforest region sparked a record number of fires in Venezuela from January to March, while drought in southern Africa has wiped out crops and left millions facing starvation.
Marine scientists also warned last month that a massive coral bleaching is likely to occur in the Southern Hemisphere, driven by warming waters, and could be the worst in the planet's history.
The main cause of the extreme heat is man-made greenhouse gas emissions.