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In an unprecedented streak, average global temperatures for the past 12 months hit record highs for each respective month, according to scientists from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. They found that May 2024 was the warmest May on the books, marking a full year of record-high monthly temperatures.
Declaring that we are facing a climate crisis, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that communities across America, like Arizona, California, and Nevada, as well as those across the globe are feeling first-hand extreme heat in unprecedented numbers.
He also said that NASA and the Biden-Harris administration recognise the urgency of protecting our home planet, and that critical climate data are being provided to better lives and livelihoods, and benefit all humanity.
Human activity
The run of record temperatures fits within a long-term warming trend driven by human activity — primarily greenhouse gas emissions, shared Senior Science Writer, Sally Younger, on NASA website.
“The trend has become evident over the past four decades, with the last 10 consecutive years being the warmest 10 since record-keeping began in the late 19th century. Before this streak of 12 straight months of record temperatures, the second longest streak lasted for seven months between 2015 and 2016,” the article added.
It also discussed phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña, which alternately warm and cool the tropical Pacific Ocean, and the influence of ocean temperatures on this year’s hurricane season.
