April 2024 declared 'hottest month' on record

European Union’s climate change monitoring services confirmed that   April 2024 was hotter than any other month in the global temperature record.

The month was 1.58 degrees Celsius warmer than the average temperature in April in the era before industrialisation and 0.67 degrees above the average April between 1991 and 2020.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement stipulated that the global temperature would not be allowed to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Global ocean heat in April was also record-breaking for the 13th consecutive month, as ocean surface temperature reached 21.04 degrees which is higher on record for any of April.

The unprecedented global heat is being driven by the long trend of global warming, mainly caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels.

“There is a 66% chance that 2024 will be the hottest year on record and a 99% chance it will be the second hottest, the temperature will above 1.5 degrees above pre-industrialisation," CNN quoted climate expert Hausfather as saying.

He said the world is still on track for warming of close to 3 degrees, which would bring catastrophic consequences.

The escalating heat has been extremely impacting South Asia as well. Parts of South and Southeast, from Bangladesh to Vietnam, witnessed scorching heat waves. 

Meanwhile, southern Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and the East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania suffered deadly flooding.

Apart from this, Pakistan recorded irregular heavier rains, making the country’s wettest month in over 60 years.