In January of 2024, record high temperatures were reached. The NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook has already determined that the temperatures in 2024 will be in the top five highest temperatures ever recorded and could possibly reach the highest temperature recorded world-wide. This is not the first time that the temperatures have averaged higher than normal, for the seven months leading up to before January also reached record high temperatures.
In January the temperatures averaged about 56.29 degrees fahrenheit which is 2.29 degrees more than 54 degrees fahrenheit, the average temperature of January in the 20th-century. These temperatures were 1.26 degrees fahrenheit higher than the previous record set four years ago in 2020. Also, the temperatures in January were 2.988 degrees fahrenheit higher than the estimates set for the averages during 1850-1900. Despite the temperatures in January being higher than other records set in years before 2024, the other temperatures set after July in 2023 were higher than the ones in January. However, the temperatures in January were higher than the one before July of 2023. The twelve months between February of 2023 and January of 2024 had the highest temperatures on record and 1.152 degrees higher than the average in 1991-2020.
In 2023 the warmer conditions came with El Niño that first appeared in June. El Niño is when the trade winds, which normally are just to the south or north of the equator and travel to the east and west reliably, weaken. This change causes the warm water in the pacific to be pushed to the east and arrive in the area near the west coast of the United States. The warmer waters cause there to be a change in the path of the pacific jet stream. The steam shifts to the south of its original path causing the northern parts of North America to become warmer and dryer while the southern region becomes wetter and cooler.
Overall, the temperatures in the regions of arctic, northeastern North America, central Russia, south and western Asia, Africa, South America, eastern and southeastern Asia and Australia were higher than the other recorded average temperatures. Also, the average sea temperatures were 0.468 degrees fahrenheit more than the average which was 69.746 degrees fahrenheit in January of 2024. However, the regions of central and southern United States, northeastern and eastern Europe, and northeastern Asia and Antarctica had cooler temperatures than average. It is predicted that the temperatures will return to normal from April to June because of the La Niña, which happens soon after the El Niño, that causes cooler air to travel after to the places that became warmer than usual. These cooler temperatures slowly make the climate cooler similarly to how the El Niño does. However, the rising temperatures are concerning and further suggest that climate change is slowly warming the earth as many scientists have proven. Otherwise there would not be any record breaking temperatures in the past 11 months.
References
“Global Climate Summary for January 2024.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 16 February 2024, www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/global-climate-summary-january-2024#:~:text=There%20is%20a%2022%25%20chance,lowest%20on%20record%20for%20January.
“Copernicus: In 2024, the World Experienced the Warmest January on Record.” Copernicus, Copernicus, 8 February 2024, climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2024-world-experienced-warmest-january-record.
“What are El Niño and La Niña?”. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 24 August 2024, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html.
