The European Union climate agency reported that March marked the hottest on record, extending a streak of ten consecutive months as the warmest ever recorded.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that the average surface air temperature globally reached 14.14 degrees Celsius, surpassing the 1991-2020 average for March by 0.73 degrees Celsius and exceeding the previous high set in March 2016 by 0.10 degrees Celsius.
Furthermore, the global mean temperature has reached unprecedented levels, with the previous twelve months being 1.58 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels.
Additionally, the global mean temperature over the last twelve months (April 2023 – March 2024) has set a new record, standing at 0.70°C above the average for 1991-2020 and 1.58°C above the pre-industrial average of 1850-1900.
Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), commented that March 2024 extends the trend of climate records being surpassed, encompassing both air and ocean surface temperatures, marking the tenth consecutive month of breaking records.
“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,” Burgess said.
The agency noted that Europe experienced its second warmest March on record for the continent.
“The average European temperature for March 2024 was 2.12°C above the 1991-2020 average for March, making the month the second warmest March on record for the continent, only a marginal 0.02°C cooler than March 2014. Temperatures were mostly above average in central and eastern regions,” the agency noted.
Beyond Europe, the agency reported that regions with above-average temperatures included eastern North America, Greenland, eastern Russia, Central America, parts of South America, several African regions, southern Australia, and segments of Antarctica.
Despite a weakening El Niño in the eastern equatorial Pacific, marine air temperatures continued to remain significantly elevated.
The global average sea surface temperature, calculated over the range of 60°S to 60°N, reached a historic peak of 21.07°C in March, slightly exceeding the previous record established in February.
