February 2024 warmest on record

WMO – Average world temperatures hit a new record for the month of February in 2024, according to the latest data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

February was 1.77 degrees Celsius warmer than the estimated February average for 1850-1900, the pre-industrial reference period, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service, implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

It said that the average global sea surface temperature over 60°S–60°N was 21.06°C in February, the highest for any month in its ERA5 dataset, and above the previous record of August 2023 (20.98°C).

The average daily sea surface temperature reached a new absolute high of 21.09°C at the end of February, according to the ERA5 dataset. Sea surface temperature is defined over the global extra-polar ocean, from 60°S to 60°N and is used as a standard diagnostic for climate monitoring.

El Niño continued to weaken in the equatorial Pacific, but marine air temperatures in general remained at an unusually high level.

February temperatures were above average across most of the Arctic, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Australia whereas much of Greenland, eastern Asia, and parts of Antarctica were cooler than average. North America, South America, and Europe had their warmest February on record while Africa was second warmest, said a separate report from the NOAA.

Global sea ice extent was the fourth smallest in the 46-year record. Arctic sea ice extent was slightly below average, while Antarctic sea ice extent was much below average and ranked second-smallest on record, according to NOAA.