January 2023 was marked as the fifth hottest January globally, according to Copernicus, despite experiencing severe cold waves in parts of Europe and the United States.
In January 2023, the global average temperature reached 12.95°C, making it the fifth hottest January on record, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which is linked to the European Union. This temperature is 1.47°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) and just 0.03°C below the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris Agreement in 2015. The cold waves affecting countries like the USA and Europe contrast sharply with the global warming trend that has been observed in recent years.
The report highlights that the Arctic region experienced the most significant temperature increases in January, particularly in Greenland, a territory of Denmark that has garnered interest from former US President Donald Trump. In this region, temperatures were at least 3°C above the average recorded from 1991 to 2020, with some areas experiencing an increase of over 6°C. This alarming rise in temperature raises concerns about the broader implications of climate change and its impact on global weather patterns.
The findings serve to emphasize the discrepancies in weather experiences globally, as some areas suffer from extreme cold while others are breaking heat records. With only a slight margin below the Paris Agreement's goal, these trends evoke a greater urgency for climate action as the world grapples with the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, potentially exacerbated by human-induced climate change.
