Record-breaking heat streak extends to March

Last month ranked as the hottest March ever, as the year-long trend of high temperatures continued its streak, climate agency Copernicus said in a recent report.

Global surface air temperatures averaged at 14.14°C, surpassing the previous March record set in 2016 by 0.10°C and sitting 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average.

This marks the 10th consecutive month to set a new high-temperature record for its respective month.

The report noted April 2023 to March 2024 as the warmest year on record, with temperatures 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.58°C warmer than pre-industrial levels.

Europe experienced its second-hottest March on record — only 0.02°C cooler than March 2014 — with average temperatures 2.12°C above the 1991-2020 average as the central and eastern regions saw the most significant temperature increases. 

Beyond Europe, eastern North America, Greenland, parts of South America and Africa, Central America, southern Australia, and even Antarctica all observed above-average temperatures in March.

The El Nino phenomenon affected the Pacific as marine temperatures remained unusually high, with global sea surface temperatures reaching a new high in March as well, averaging 21.07°C, surpassing the previous record set in February by a narrow margin.

The streak of record-breaking monthly temperatures has been active since June 2023 and widespread marine heat waves have contributed to the warmth. 

The strong influence of El Niño, a Pacific Ocean warming phenomenon, was observed as marine temperatures remained unusually high, with global sea surface temperatures reaching a new high in March as well, averaging 21.07°C, surpassing the previous record set in February by a narrow margin.

The 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. While temperature data, like that from Copernicus, is measured monthly, the data for the Paris Agreement threshold might slightly differ as it is typically averaged over longer timeframes. 

Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus called for attention to the climate records being toppled for both air and ocean surface temperatures, as the past ten months continued to cross the Paris Agreement threshold. 

“The global average temperature is the highest on record, with the past 12 months being 1.58°C above pre-industrial levels. Stopping further warming requires rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.