April 2022 fifth-warmest on record globally

NOAA – Spring may have been late coming to Western Canada in 2022, but on a global scale April of this year marked the fifth-warmest average temperatures for the month on record going back 143 years, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Average global temperatures in April were 0.85 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average of 13.7 degrees C, typing April 2010 as the fifth-warmest April on record.

The month also contributed to a very warm start to 2022, as sea ice coverage at both poles ran well below average, said NOAA.

Asia had its warmest April on record, dating back to 1910, with the month running 2.62 degrees C above average. This surpassed the now second-warmest April in 2016 by 0.05 of a degree C. Unusually high temperatures across India and Pakistan contributed to the record heat in Asia, with several locations setting new April temperature records.

Oceania had its fifth-warmest April on record, while Africa and South America saw their ninth and 12th-warmest April on record, respectively. North America was the only continent with a cooler-than-average April, seeing its coolest April since 2018.

The world’s 10 warmest Aprils have all occurred since 2010, with 2014-2022 all ranking among the 10 warmest Aprils on record.

The global temperature for the year-to-date was 0.87 of a degree C above average, making it the fifth-warmest such YTD on record.

According to data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information it is virtually certain (> 99.0%) that 2022 will rank among the 10 warmest years on record.