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June of 2017 Was Third Hottest on Record for Globe
18
July, 2017
According
to NOAA, June
of 2017 was the third hottest such month in the global climate
recordsince
temperature tracking began in 1880. For NASA, June
was also the third hottest on record with
June of 2016 settling in at 1st hottest, and 2015 and 1998 tied as
second hottest. Overall, global temperatures were about 0.91 degrees
Celsius warmer than late 19th Century averages in the NASA record and
about 1.02 degrees Celsius warmer than the same time period in the
NOAA record.
(NASA’s
land-ocean temperature graphic showed most of the world blanketed in
much warmer than normal conditions. Image source: NASA.)
Around
the globe, various climate extremes were quite visible as a result of
such considerable warmth. Arctic sea ice extent was 6th
lowest on record according to NSIDC while
Arctic sea ice volume was
the lowest ever recorded according to PIOMAS.
NSIDC also found that Antarctic
sea ice extent was the second lowest on record.
Combined, global sea ice extent was the
lowest ever recorded.
Weather
disasters included severe hydrological events likely influenced by
increasing atmospheric water vapor content and evaporation rates due
to climate change. These comprised Bangladesh’s
devastating June floods and
a still ongoing African
drought spurring worsening hunger and increasing instances of mass
migration.
Meanwhile, seven
maximum temperature records were broken with
the highest
temperature ever recorded in Asia during June occurring at Ahwaz in
Iran on June 29 and
an all-time national June heat record set
in the United Arab Emirates on June 16th.
Notably, no new all-time cold temperature records were set across the
globe during June.
With update to Jun, 2017 will almost certainly be a top 3 year in the GISTEMP record (most likely 2nd warmest ~57% chance). pic.twitter.com/jiR6cCv1x8
— Gavin Schmidt (@ClimateOfGavin) July 15, 2017
If
present trends continue, 2017 is now on track to be the second
hottest year in the global climate record. This despite a noted lack
of El Nino in the Pacific following a very weak La Nina during late
2016 and running into early 2017. Though not as warm as 2016, it
appears that 2017 will range about 1.1 C above late 19th Century
values in the NASA record (according to analysis by Gavin Schmidt)
along the current path.
This
is a very warm range that is likely to keep pushing the climate
system into gradually more extreme conditions. Atmospheric CO2, which
is rapidly rising due to rampant fossil fuel burning, is likely to
average around 405 ppm in 2017. As a result, global atmospheric heat
forcing is on the rise with the trend likely to continue upward
pending a major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Meteorologists, climate scientists, risk experts and climate
journalists should therefore remain on heightened alert for dangerous
trends related to global climate change.
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