SRINAGAR: The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) of the European Union has confirmed that 2023 stands as the hottest year on record globally, with a temperature 1.48 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
“2023 is confirmed as the warmest calendar year on record, with a global average temperature of 14.98 degrees Celsius — 0.60 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 level — overtaking the previous warmest year of 2016,” C3S said.
They anticipate that a 12-month period ending in January or February 2024 is likely to surpass 1.5 degrees Celcius above the pre-industrial level.
The impact of this warming trend is evident in Kashmir as well, where the traditionally coldest period of winter, Chilai Kalan, has not experienced any snowfall. The dry spell raises concerns among both the public and experts. CCS data shows that GHG concentrations in the atmosphere reached a record level in 2023 — this along with El Nino has driven most of the warming.
Director of MeT, Mukhtar Ahmad, attributed the dry spell in Kashmir to the El Nino Effect, an irregular oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon causing warmth.
Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess noted, “It was record-breaking for seven months. We had the warmest June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. It wasn’t just a season or a month that was exceptional. It was exceptional for over half the year.”
The Associated Press reported that January 2024 is on track to be exceptionally warm, potentially exceeding the 1.5-degree threshold for the first time in 12 months, prompting concerns from climate scientists about the irreversible effects of global warming.
The World Weather Attribution team, examining events affecting at least 1 million people or causing over 100 fatalities, faced overwhelming demand in 2023, with over 160 such events. The team could only conduct 14 studies, revealing the impact of human-induced climate change on the intensity and likelihood of heatwaves, as per reports in the Associated Press.
