Globally, this April was a scorcher, tying with 2010 for the warmest April on record, according to new data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week. This makes 2014, to date, the sixth warmest year on record going back to 1880 when comparing the first four months. However, if an El Nino event strikes this summer or fall—as seems increasingly likely—global temperatures could rise even more.
April’s temperatures were 0.77 degrees Celsius (1.39 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th Century average around the world. Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and northern Africa all experienced temperatures well-above average. But the hottest region proved to be Eastern Siberia, where temperatures hit more than 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th Century average. Meanwhile, much of Canada, the U.S. Midwest, and portions of Central Asia were below average.
April 2014 is also a landmark for being the 350th month in a row where global temperatures have been above the 20th Century average: the last time the world had a below-average month was February 1985. Moreover the last time the world had a below average year was 1976. According to NOAA the warmest year on record was 2010.
Average April temperatures worldwide as compared to a 1981-2010 baseline. Map courtesy of NOAA.
Temperatures around the world are rising due to the ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions most of which come from burning fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—for energy, but which are also released by deforestation and industrialized agriculture. While nations have pledged to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), experts say we are currently on track for much greater rises given a lack of political effort to tackle emissions.
Aprils from 1880 to today. Graph courtesy of NOAA.
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