Context:
Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its “State of the Climate in 2023” report, revealing alarming trends in global climate indicators.
More on the News:
- The report highlights multiple record-breaking events and measurements across various climate parameters.
- The report documents unprecedented levels of drought, greenhouse gas concentrations, global temperatures, sea levels, and ocean heat content.
- These findings underscore the accelerating pace of climate change and its wide-ranging impacts.
Key Findings:
- Drought: A record 8% of the global land area experienced extreme drought in July 2023, surpassing the previous high of 6.2% set in July 2022.
- Nearly 30% of land faced moderate or worse drought conditions.
State of the Climate in 2023 report:
- State of the Climate 2023″ is an annual international review of global climate conditions.
- The review is led by scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
- It is published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
- The report involves nearly 600 scientists from 60 countries.
- It provides a comprehensive update on Earth’s climate indicators, significant weather events, and data from various environmental monitoring sources.
- History: This is the 34th edition of the annual assessment, first published in 1996.
- Temperature: 2023 was the warmest year on record since the mid-to-late 1800s, with temperatures 0.55-0.60°C above the 1991-2020 average.
- Greenhouse Gases: Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide levels reached new record highs, continuing their upward trend.
- Ocean and Sea Level: Global ocean heat content and mean sea level both set new records, with sea levels rising 4 inches above the 1993 average.
- Arctic and Antarctic: The Arctic experienced its fourth-warmest year on record, while Antarctic sea ice extent reached record lows in multiple months.
India Specific Findings:
- 2023 was the second-warmest year on record since nationwide records commenced in India in 1901.
- Heatwave in June 2023 claimed more than 160 lives in various parts of India.
- The country-averaged seasonal mean temperatures were above normal for all seasons except the pre-monsoon season.
- With 1,280 deaths, thunderstorms and lightning claimed the maximum lives in 2023, followed by heavy rainfall, floods (880), and heatwaves (160).
Globally Regional Impacts:
- North America: Canada faced its worst wildfire season on record, with burned areas exceeding 15 million hectares.
- Europe: Greece saw record wildfires, with burned areas four times the long-term average.
- South America: Severe drought affected the Amazon basin, with the Rio Negro reaching its lowest level since 1902.
- Australia: The country experienced its driest three-month period on record between August and October 2023.
- Global: While overall tropical cyclone activity was below average in 2023, storms still set records around the globe, with over seven tropical cyclones reaching Category 5 (Maximum sustained winds at least 157 miles per hour) and higher accumulated cyclone energy.