We Just Saw the Warmest February on Record, and It's Following a Trend
C/NET
Last year, we experienced both the hottest summer and the hottest year on record, and 2024 isn't showing any chill either. According to a report from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, February 2024 was the warmest February ever recorded, as well as the ninth consecutive month to break its own heat record.
Europe saw the brunt of warming in February, with temperatures 3.3 degrees Celsius above the average between 1991-2020.
"February joins the long stream of records of the last few months," C3S director Carlo Buontempo said in the report. "It is not really surprising as the continuous warming of the climate system inevitably leads to new temperature extremes. The climate responds to the actual concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so unless we manage to stabilise those, we will inevitably face new global temperature records and their consequences."