Summer 2023 Breaks 2,000-Year Temperature Record, Alarming Study Finds

Summer 2023 has etched its scorching mark in history, establishing itself as hottest season in rrn hemisphere in past 2,000 years, according to a recent study published in journal Nature. Comparing last year’s temperatures with historical climate data, researchers discovered that June, July, and August of 2023 were at least 0.5°C hotter than most extreme past climates. This concerning trend was exacerbated by an El Ni wear pattern in Pacific, which intensified impact of human-caused global warming.

study unveiled that summer temperatures over rrn hemisphere land in 2023 soared 2.07°C higher than in pre-industrial period (1850-1900), significantly surpassing Paris Agreement’s target of limiting temperature increases to 1.5°C. This marked 2023 as hottest year globally since records began in 1850, propelled by human-caused climate change, pushing rrn summer highs beyond anything seen in two millennia.

Lead author of study, Jan Esper, a professor of climatology at Germany’s Johannes Gutenberg University, emphasized gravity of situation, stating, “We shouldn’t be surprised. It’s continuation of what we started by releasing greenhouse gases.”

Utilizing tree-ring data from various sites across rrn hemisphere, scientists estimated global temperatures between first century AD and 1850, before advent of modern observational instruments. conservative estimate found that 2023 was at least 0.5°C hotter than warmest rrn hemisphere summer of that period in AD 246, and potentially 1.19°C warmer.

Co-author of study, Max Torbenson, pointed out that 25 of last 28 years exceeded summer highs of AD 246, hottest year before modern records began. By contrast, coolest summer in that 2,000-year period was nearly four degrees cooler than 2023 summer due to a major volcanic eruption. While volcanic activity could induce cooler conditions in future, study emphasizes that humanity’s release of greenhouse gases will persistently trap heat in atmosphere.

Esper stressed urgency of immediate action to curb emissions, stating, “ longer we wait, more difficult and expensive it will be.”

In ar study published recently, it was warned that higher temperatures and ing populations would expose tens of millions of older people to dangerous heat extremes by 2050. Currently, 14 per cent of elderly people are exposed to days exceeding 37.5°C, a figure expected to rise to 23 per cent by mid-century, according to study in Nature Communications.

Lead author of latter study, Giacomo Falchetta, highlighted disparities in preparedness and adaptive capacity across different regions. While Europe has systems to support people during heatwaves, Africa and Asia, with rapidly growing elderly populations, lack sufficient access to clean water and healthcare to cope with extreme heat.

“As climate change continues to be exacerbated by El Ni, temperature records are likely to be broken again in 2024,” warned Ulf Büntgen, a study co-author from University of Cambridge. “2023 was an exceptionally hot year, and this trend will continue unless we dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he added.

In recent weeks, exceptional heat waves have ravd many Asian countries, with Myanmar experiencing its highest-ever April temperature of 48.2°C and parts of Delhi, India, recording temperatures as high as 50°C.

“When you look at long sweep of history, you can see just how dramatic recent global warming is,” Büntgen concluded.