According to data from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2022 was the fifth warmest year on record while in some parts of the world was the warmest ever.
Overall, the temperature increased with 1.15C globally from the levels seen in the pre-industrial era, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), making it one of the warmest years on record since 1880. NASA’s global temperature analysis uses surface temperature data from weather stations, ships, and buoys to track global temperatures. The warming trend is consistent with the long-term trend of climate change caused by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and the resulting increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
“When you look at nine of the past 10 years, they’re the warmest years in the modern record since 1880, and that’s pretty alarming,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. “If we don’t take it seriously and have some real action to mitigate [the trend], there are going to be deadly effects across the globe. Extreme weather patterns threaten our wellbeing across the planet and we need some bold action.”
2022 brought a string of natural disasters that according to a recent report from Munich Re, caused losses of $270 bn. The costliest weather event in 2022 was Hurricane Ian that hit the US, while the deadliest were the floods in Pakistan.
“Our warming climate is already making a mark: Forest fires are intensifying; hurricanes are getting stronger; droughts are wreaking havoc and sea levels are rising. NASA is deepening our commitment to do our part in addressing climate change. Our Earth System Observatory will provide state-of-the-art data to support our climate modeling, analysis and predictions to help humanity confront our planet’s changing climate,” added Mr. Nelson.
Source: news.un.org
