Real scorcherJan-June 2015 hottest on record since 1880:
by Kanya D’ Almeida
According to new data released by the US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Tuesday, globally averaged
temperatures over ocean and land surfaces between January and June of
2015 were the hottest on record since 1880.
A statement by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) revealed
on July. 21 that “the average temperature for the six-month period was
0.85°C (1.53°F) above the 20th century average of 15.5°C (59.9°F),
surpassing the previous record set in 2010 by 0.09°C (0.16°F).”
Average global sea surface temperatures for the January-June 2015
period outstripped the previous record in 2010 by 0.04°C (0.07°F).
Land surface temperatures also hit record levels, surpassing the
previous 2007 high by 0.13°C (0.23°F), according to NOAA’ s National
Centers for Environmental Information. The average land surface
temperature from January to June was +1.40°C (2.52°F).
“Most of the world’s land areas were much warmer than average,” the
organisation stated. “These regions include nearly all of Eurasia, South
America, Africa, and western North America, with pockets of record
warmth across these areas. All of Australia was warmer than average.”
March, May and June of 2015 all broke their monthly temperature
records this year; January and February each witnessed the “second
warmest” temperatures recorded and April experienced the fourth warmest
monthly temperature ever.
NOAA’s Global Analysis for June 2015 further stated, “These six warm
months combined with the previous six months (four of which were also
record warm) to make the period July 2014–June 2015 the warmest 12-month
period in the 136-year period of record, surpassing the previous record
set just last month (June 2014–May 2015).”
Warmest ever
In an even more disturbing trend, the world’s leading meteorological
body stated that the average Arctic sea ice extent for June 2015 was
350,000 square miles (7.7 percent) below the 1981-2010 average and
60,000 square miles larger than the smallest June sea ice extent on
record that occurred in 2010. “This was the third smallest June extent
since records began in 1979 according to analysis by the National Snow
and Ice Data Center using data from NOAA and NASA,” the WMO release
explained.Meanwhile, the Antarctic sea ice extent in June was 380,000
square miles (7.2. percent) larger than the average for the 1981-2010
period, making it the largest ever Antarctic sea ice extent for the
month of June. Just prior to the release of this new data, on Jul. 1,
the WMO together with the World Health Organisaiton (WHO) put out a set
of guidelines designed to deal with the health risks associated with
hotter global temperatures.
The joint guidance on Heat–Health Warning Systems, released earlier
this month, aims to address “health risks posed by heatwaves, which are
becoming more frequent and more intense as a result of climate change,”
the agencies said.
Heatwaves
“Heatwaves are a dangerous natural hazard, and one that requires
increased attention,” said Maxx Dilley, Director of WMO’s Climate
Prediction and Adaptation Branch, and Maria Neira, Director of WHO’s
Department of Public Health, Environmenl and Social Determinants of
Health.“They lack the spectacular and sudden violence of other hazards,
such as tropical cyclones or flash floods but the consequences can be
severe.”
Over the past 50 years, according to WHO data, hot days, hot nights
and heatwaves have become more frequent. The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) noted, “The length, frequency and intensity of
heatwaves will likely increase over most land areas during this
century.”
Heatwaves also place an increased strain on infrastructure such as
power, water and transport.
The agency cited the recent heatwaves in both India and Pakistan that
killed thousands of people this summer. In Pakistan alone, 1,200
perished in the month of June, mostly poor people and manual labourers
who were forced to remain in the streets despite government warnings to
stay indoors to avoid the blistering 45-degree heat.
According to the WHO, the European heatwaves in the northern
hemisphere summer of 2003 were responsible for the deaths of tens of
thousands of people, as were the Russian heatwaves, forest fires and
associated air pollution in 2010. -IPS
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