El Nino, 2017 warmest non-El Nino year on record
EL NINO
El Nino- Last year was the warmest on record for a non-El Niño year, according to provisional figures from the Met Office released today (Thursday 18th January 2018).
The HadCRUT4 global temperature data shows that 2017 was nominally the third warmest in recorded history, behind only 2015 and 2016, which were both influenced by the warming effect of El Niño, a natural, periodic fluctuation of the ocean and atmosphere.
The data shows the global average 2017 temperature was about 1°C above pre-industrial times (deemed to be 1850-1900) and 0.4°C above the 1981-2010 average.
Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading
Reacting to the news, Professor Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading, said: “The record-breaking temperatures seen in recent years are in line with predictions and demonstrate the warming effect rising atmospheric greenhouse gas levels are having on the planet. These latest figures bring us another step closer to the temperature limits set out in the Paris Agreement which, if exceeded, would have a damaging and dangerous impact on societies and ecosystems.
“Last year saw a multitude of damaging extremes, with severe Hurricanes lashing the US and Caribbean while serious flooding and heatwaves affected many across Asia. Severe weather is not unusual each year but many of these events are becoming more severe due to the sustained warming influence of rising atmospheric greenhouse gas levels.
“Snowstorms in the UK this week serve as a reminder that we are already vulnerable to weather extremes and it is vital that governments demonstrate their mettle by taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid more dangerous impacts over the coming decades associated with climate change.”
Professor Ed Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading, said
“There are variations in temperature from year to year but when seen as a series of maps the warming trend is stark. The land regions are warming faster than the oceans, and the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere.”
