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February Smashes Earth’s All-Time Global Heat Record

Data from NASA shows that February broke all records for heat, and this is around the world and not just in certain areas. Due to the figures produced, there are warnings that climate change is becoming serious and not just a scare tactic that some believe it to be.

Helena Marsh
Helena MarshEditor-in-Chief
1 min read
February Smashes Earth’s All-Time Global Heat Record

Data from NASA shows that February broke all records for heat, and this is around the world and not just in certain areas. Due to the figures produced, there are warnings that climate change is becoming serious and not just a scare tactic that some believe it to be. A blog recently appeared on Weather Underground, and the writers Bob Henson and Jeff Masters reminded everyone that a large part of the problem comes as a result of greenhouse gases produced by humans. This is something that has to be looked at and driven down.

READ ALSO: The Decoupling of Growth and CO2 Emissions is a Boost Against Climate Change

The details now released backup reports from early March when there were concerns first announced. There was a 1.35C rise seen compared to the temperatures recorded for the same month from the baseline years of 1951-1980. This is more worrying as the month before had set the record, and it was hoped it would not be beaten for a while, but sadly this was not the case.

Monthly global surface temperatures (land and ocean) from NASA for the period 1880 to February 2016, expressed in departures from the 1951-1980 average. The red line shows the 12-month running average. Image credit: Stephan Okhuijsen, datagraver.com, used with permission.

El Nino has added to the heat in February and is a primary reason for the record temperatures recorded this time. The last time such a rise was seen, was the last time there was El Nino back in 1998. Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research department of Germany believes that we are already in an emergency situation with regards to the climate and conveyed his views to Fairfax Media. He added that the findings were stunning and in his words, “completely unprecedented.”

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Helena Marsh

Helena Marsh

Editor-in-Chief

Helena Marsh is the Editor-in-Chief at TrendinTech, where she leads editorial strategy and oversees coverage across artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and enterprise technology. With more than a decade in technology journalism on both sides of the Atlantic, she previously served as a senior editor at Wired UK and covered the technology sector for The Guardian, following the rise of the big platforms, the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the regulatory push from Brussels and Washington. Helena holds an MA in Journalism from City, University of London and is a regular speaker at Web Summit in Lisbon and CES in Las Vegas. She believes technology reporting should be rigorous and plainly written, so readers understand what actually changes for them rather than what a company's announcement promises.

All stories by Helena Marsh (201)