The data are collected by the European Commission's Copernicus research project
The year 2023 was the hottest on record, and the temperature rise seems to continue. March 2024 was also the warmest March on record, with an average surface temperature of 14.14°C. This is 0.73°C above the average March temperature for the period from 1991 to 2020. The previous record was set in March 2016, and we are now 0.10°C above that figure.
Compared to estimates from 1850 to 1900, March 2024 was 1.68°C warmer. And the data for the last twelve months has also set a record: from April 2023 to March 2024, temperatures were 0.70°C above the average for the period 1991-2020 and 1.58°C above the estimated average for the pre-industrial era.
The measurements were made by the Copernicus Climate Change service (C3S) of the European Center for Medium-Term Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Commission. The system provides its measurements by cross-referencing billions of data points from satellites, ships, airplanes, and weather stations scattered around the world.
“March 2024 continues to set climate records for both air and ocean surface temperatures. This is the tenth consecutive record month,” commented Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of Copernicus Climate Services. “The global average temperature is the highest ever recorded, with temperatures over the past 12 months 1.58 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are needed to stop further warming.”