Tuesday, December 31, 2020
The decade from 2011 to 2020 is the warmest recorded decade ever, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Globally, the WMO has stated that 2020 is on track to becoming the warmest ever year, surpassing the highest surface temperatures recorded in 2016. The average global temperature this year is set to be about 1.2 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial era (1850 – 1900). This is the highest since modern temperature recordings began in 1850.
WMO experts mentioned that carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for several decades, contributing to warming of the planet
According to the experts, the warming recorded during 2020, despite the prevailing La Nina condition, which is the abnormal cooling of sea surface temperatures recorded along the equatorial and central Pacific Ocean.
Generally, record warm temperatures coincide with a strong El Nino event, which is the opposite of La Nina.
Last year, the ocean heat content was at a record high, and it has been noted that the ocean has been fast to intake this heat. More than 90 per cent of this excess energy accumulated in the climate system of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases go straight into the ocean.
