Last month was the warmest November on record, according to new analysis from the NOAA. Temperatures were 0.78 degrees Celsius (1.40 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average November in the 20th Century. Global temperatures are on the rise due to climate change caused primarily by burning fossil fuels, but also by deforestation and land-use change.
While parts of the US and Canada saw temperatures well below average for November, Russia was roasting, at least compared to average temperatures. Parts of Russia saw temperatures that were 8 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) above average for the month. More astoundingly, November was the 345th month in a row that has been warmer than the 20th Century average.
Through November, 2013 is shaping up to tie for the fourth warmest year on record. However, recent research has challenged current temperature records as underplaying the rate of global warming due to data gaps in the Arctic. The Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on the plant, and leaving out data here has likely underestimated the rate of warming.
The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its first global carbon budget, which outlines how much carbon can be burnt before we cross the line into catastrophic climate change. According to the budget, the vast majority of the world’s remaining fossil fuel reserves will have to be left untouched.
November 2013 temperature anomaly as compared to 1981-2010. Map courtesy of NOAA.
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