GabyAccording to the European Union’s Climate Change Program, the average September temperature on the planet this year reached 16.17 °C. This figure was just shy of the record-breaking global average temperature for September 2023, which stood at 16.38 °C. Scientists attribute these temperature anomalies to climate change driven by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), based in Bonn, Germany, the temperature in September 2024 was 1.54 °C higher than the average September temperature from 1850 to 1900. This period, often referred to as the pre-industrial era, serves as a benchmark for comparing modern temperatures. “September 2024 became the second warmest month on record, both globally and in Europe,” stated Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S.
Burgess noted that the higher air temperatures worldwide led to exceptionally humid weather in September 2024. The reason is that warmer air holds more moisture, which means we can expect more intense rainfall and flooding. “The extreme downpours we are witnessing this month, which are becoming increasingly frequent, have intensified due to atmospheric warming; in just a few days, we received a month’s worth of rainfall,” she remarked. The risk of extreme precipitation will continue to escalate as temperatures rise. However, “the sooner we achieve net-zero emissions, the quicker we can reduce this risk,” she added.
Overall, the climate trend is concerning. Although this September was not as hot as last year’s, C3S experts remain worried about the warming trend that is driving up the average global temperature. The average global temperature over the past 12 months (October 2023 – September 2024) is the second highest on record for any 12-month period. According to climatologists at C3S, over the last year, temperatures were 0.74 °C higher than the average from 1991 to 2020 and 1.62 °C above the pre-industrial average from 1850 to 1900.
What about Europe? When looking at Europe specifically, last month’s temperature was 1.74 °C above the average September temperature from 1991 to 2020. This September became the second warmest on record in Europe, following September 2023, when temperatures exceeded normal levels by 2.51 °C. Like the rest of the world, September 2024 saw above-average rainfall across much of Europe, as reported by the Daily Mail. Storm “Boris” brought heavy rains, flooding, and related destruction to Central and Eastern Europe in the middle of the month.
Outside of Europe, temperatures were above normal in Canada, the central and western United States, South America, northeastern Africa, China, and Japan. C3S also reported that the global average sea surface temperature last month reached 20.83 °C, marking the second highest value on record after September 2023.
