
It's not even halfway over yet, and 2020 already has a 75 percent chance of being the warmest year on record.
The forecast was shared by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists during a press call Thursday, as USA TODAY reported. But even if it isn't the hottest year, it has a 99.9 percent chance of being one of the top five.
"The year 2020 is almost certain to rank among the five warmest years on record," NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) said in its monthly global climate report, according to an E&E News story published by Scientific American.
If it does, the last seven years will be the seven warmest on record, Al Jazeera pointed out.
The prediction comes as NOAA announced that the period from January to March 2020 was the second-warmest in its 141 years of record keeping.
January-to-March was the second warmest such period for the globe, behind 2016: https://t.co/AWd6TkukrR… https://t.co/ZT2x3X1iby— NOAA NCEI Climate (@NOAA NCEI Climate)1586890149.0
This is "unusual," NCEI's Deke Arndt told USA TODAY, because there is no El Niño this year. The cyclical climate phenomenon, which leads to warmer ocean water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, was present during the warmest year on record — 2016. February and March of this year were the warmest on record without an El Niño, and Arndt said the warming trend is primarily caused by the climate crisis driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
Overall, global land and sea surface temperatures were 2.07 degrees Fahrenheit above average for the first three months of the year, E&E News reported, but not every region had an equally hot start.
Europe and Asia had their warmest first three months on record, while South America had its third warmest January to March and its warmest March, NOAA reported.
In the U.S., the southeast had its second-warmest winter with average temperatures of 54.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to E&E News. But records were set around the globe.
"Record warm January–March temperatures were present across parts of Europe, Asia, Central and South America, as well as the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific oceans. However, no land or ocean areas had record cold January–March temperatures," NCEI wrote.
March on its own was also the second-warmest month on record.
At 2.09°F (1.16°C) above average, the March 2020 global land and ocean surface temperature ranked as the second war… https://t.co/mrB8rHV3hs— NOAA NCEI Climate (@NOAA NCEI Climate)1586792922.0
Global land and sea temperatures were 2.09 degrees Fahrenheit above the average.
"The most notable warm March temperature departures were observed across much of Asia, the eastern half of the contiguous United States and southern South America, where temperatures were 3.6°F (2.0°C) above average or higher," NCEI wrote.
- Flooding in 23 States Likely This Spring, Says NOAA - EcoWatch ›
- We Just Had the Hottest January in 141 Years of Record Keeping ... ›
- 2019 Was the Second Hottest Year on Record - EcoWatch ›
- NASA and NOAA: Last Decade Was the Hottest on Record - EcoWatch ›
- Celebrate World Oceans Day From Home With the UN This Monday - EcoWatch ›
- Earth Just Had Its Hottest September Ever Recorded, NOAA Says - EcoWatch ›
By Stephanie Eick
You may not realize it, but you likely encounter phthalates every day. These chemicals are found in many plastics, including food packaging, and they can migrate into food products during processing. They're in personal care products like shampoos, soaps and laundry detergents, and in the vinyl flooring in many homes.
- 7 Types of Plastic Wreaking Havoc on Our Health - EcoWatch ›
- Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Results in Decline in Toxic Phthalates ... ›
- Phthalates Exposure in Womb Linked to Autistic Traits in Boys ... ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Many congressional districts with the most clean energy potential are current fossil fuel hubs, potentially reducing political barriers to a just transition away from the energy sources that cause climate change, a Brookings report says.
Trending
This Popular Condiment Is Helping Save Sea Turtles From One of Israel’s Worst Oil Spills
Rescue workers in Israel are using a surprising cure to save the sea turtles harmed by a devastating oil spill: mayonnaise!
- Israeli Oil Spill Is a 'Severe Ecological Disaster' - EcoWatch ›
- Endangered Sea Turtles Recovering After 'Cold Stunning' Event ... ›
As the weather grows more severe, and its damages more expensive and fatal, current weather predictions fall short in providing reliable information on Earth's rapidly changing systems.
- Are New Extreme Global Warming Projections Correct? - EcoWatch ›
- Are We Really Past the Point of No Return on Climate? Scientists ... ›
The climate crisis could push an important ocean current past a critical tipping point sooner than expected, new research suggests.