The forecast comes weeks before world leaders gather for COP28, a meeting that will address the future of fossil fuels, the main culprits in global warming.
After a September with record temperatures, 2023 will almost certainly be the hottest year on record, an American agency said on Friday 13th.
“There is a greater than 99% probability that 2023 will be the hottest year on record,” said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The fateful forecast comes weeks before world leaders gather in Dubai in November for COP28, a meeting during which they will discuss the future of fossil fuels, the main culprits behind global warming.
September hottest month on record
September was the hottest month in 174 years of global records, NOAA has confirmed. The European Copernicus Observatory announced this record at the beginning of October.
“September 2023 was the fourth consecutive month with record temperatures,” said Sarah Kapnick, NOAA’s chief scientist, in a statement.
“Not only was it the warmest September on record, but it was also the warmest September on record,” he added.
“To put it another way, September 2023 was warmer than the July average from 2001 to 2010,” he added.
The global temperature in September was 1.44° C above the 20th century average, according to the American agency.
Copernicus also estimated at the beginning of September that 2023 would probably be the hottest year in history.