Climate scientists have detected a striking jump in global temperatures during 2023. September was 1.75°C above Earth’s pre-industrial average temperature and a whole half-degree celsius warmer than the previous hottest September.
These observations have been variously described as “shocking”, “mind-blowing” and “gobsmacking” by leading scientists. So what’s behind them?
Human activities, particularly greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning, are heating the climate. Some of this excess heat is emitted back to space as radiation. The rest is taken up by the climate system – the ocean, atmosphere and land – which causes warming.
