NASA and the European Copernicus Climate Change Service rated 2020 as tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record (NASA rates the margin of error at .05 degrees C); the Japan Meteorological Agency rated 2020 as the warmest year on record. Minor differences in rankings often occur among various research groups, the result of different ways they handle data-sparse regions such as the Arctic.
Global ocean temperatures in 2020 were the third-warmest on record, global land temperatures the warmest on record. Global satellite-measured temperatures in 2020 for the lowest eight kilometers of the atmosphere were the second-warmest or warmest in the 42-year record, according to the University of Alabama, Huntsville and Remote Sensing Solutions, respectively.
The Northern Hemisphere had its warmest year on record in 2020 and the Southern Hemisphere its fifth-warmest. By continent, here are the 2020 temperature rankings:
Europe: first warmest
Asia: first warmest
South America: second warmest
Africa: fourth warmest
Australia (and Oceania): fourth warmest
North America: 10th warmest
As detailed in a January 12 post at this site by Bob Henson, 2020 for the U.S. was the fifth-warmest year in history going back to 1895. Ten states had their second-warmest year on record and four had their third-warmest year. None of the contiguous 48 states was below-average in temperature in 2020.
Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average for 2020, the second-warmest year the globe has seen since record-keeping began in 1880, according to NOAA. Record-high annual temperatures over land and ocean surfaces were measured across parts of Europe, Asia, southern North America, South America, and across parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. No land or ocean areas were record cold for the year. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
The remarkable global warmth of 2020 means that the seven warmest years on record since 1880 were the most recent seven years 2014 through 2020. The near-record global warmth in 2020 is all the more striking since it occurred during the minimum of the weakest solar cycle in more than 100 years and during a year without a strong El Nio. Record-warm global temperatures typically occur during strong El Nio events and when the solar cycle is near its maximum. The warmth of 2020 is a testament to how significantly human-caused global warming is heating the planet.
Warmest Year on Record for Total Ocean Heat Content
Despite the presence of a prominent La Nia event that began in August, the total heat content of the world's oceans in 2020 was the warmest in recorded human history, according to a January 13, 2021 paper by Cheng et al., Upper Ocean Temperatures Hit Record High in 2020, published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. In the uppermost 2,000 meters of the oceans, there were 211 to 234 zettajoules more heat in 2020 than the 1981-2010 average, and 2020 had 1 to 20 zettajoules more ocean heat content than in 2019 (a zettajoule is one sextillion joules ten to the 21st power). For comparison, in 2010, humans used a total of 0.5 zettajoules of energy.
More than 90% of the increasing heat from human-caused global warming accumulates in the ocean because of its large heat capacity. The remaining heating manifests as atmospheric warming, a drying and warming landmass, and melting land and sea ice. Increasing ocean heat content causes sea-level rise through thermal expansion of the water and melting of glaciers in contact with the ocean. It also produces stronger and more rapidly intensifying hurricanes; causes more intense precipitation events that can lead to destructive flooding; contributes to "marine heat waves" that damage or destroy coral reefs; and disrupts atmospheric circulation patterns.
A Slew of Heat Records in 2020
International records researcher Maximiliano Herrera keeps the pulse of the planet in remarkable detail, and he logged 11 nations or territories that set or tied their all-time heat records in 2020. That total fell far short of the record of 24 such records in 2019. No nations or territories set or tied an all-time cold record in 2020. Here are the all-time heat records set in 2020:
Colombia: 42.6C (108.7F) at Jerusalem, February 19 (tie);
Ghana: 44.0C (111.2F) at Navrongo, April 6;
Cuba: 39.2C (102.6F) at Palo Seco, April 10; broken again April 11 with 39.3C (102.7F) at Veguitas, and again on April 12 with 39.7C (103.5F) at Veguitas;
Mayotte, France department: 36.4C (97.5F) at Trevani, April 14;
Taiwan: 40.5C (104.9F) at Taimali Research Center, July 16;
Lebanon: 45.4C (113.7F) at Houche Al Oumara, July 27;
United States: 54.4C (129.9F) at Death Valley, California, August 16;
Japan: 41.1C (106.0F) at Hamamatsu, August 17;
Dominica: 35.7C (96.3F) at Canefield Airport, September 15;
Puerto Rico (U.S. territory): 37.8C (100.0F ) at Aguirre, September 17; and
Paraguay: 45.5C (113.9F ) at Pozo Hondo, September 26.
Among global weather stations having at least 40 years of record-keeping, Herrera documented 348 that exceeded their all-time heat record in 2020; only eight stations with a long-term period of record set an all-time cold record in 2020. For comparison, 632 stations set their all-time heat record in 2019 and 11 their all-time cold record.
Notable Global Heat and Cold Records for 2020
Hottest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: 54.4C (129.9F) at Death Valley, U.S., August 16;
Coldest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: -66.0C (-86.8F) at Summit, Greenland, January 2;
Hottest temperature in the Southern Hemisphere: 48.9C (120.0F) at Penrith Lakes, Australia, January 4;
Coldest temperature in the Southern Hemisphere: -80.8C (-113.4F) at Dome Fuji, Antarctica, August 16;
Highest 2020 average temperature worldwide: 31.5C (88.7F) at Yelimane, Mali, and Matam, Senegal; and
Highest 2020 average temperature in the Southern Hemisphere: 29.8C (85.6F) at Surabaya Airport, Indonesia, and Wyndham, Australia.
Earth's record for hottest yearly average temperature was 32.9C (91.2F) at Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2010 and 2016.
126 Additional Monthly National/Territorial Heat Records Beaten or Tied
In addition to the 11 all-time national heat records, 126 other national monthly heat records were set in 2020, for a total of 137 national monthly heat records:
January (13): Norway, South Korea, Angola, Congo Brazzaville, Dominica, Mexico, Indonesia, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe, Cuba, British Indian Ocean Territory, Singapore;
February (12): Spain, Antarctica, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, The Bahamas, Switzerland, Maldives, Gambia, Russia, Seychelles, Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands;
March (7): Paraguay, Cabo Verde, Mozambique, Seychelles, United States, Thailand, Northern Mariana Islands;
April (14): Paraguay, Niger, St. Barthelemy, Honduras, Guernsey, Haiti, Congo Brazzaville, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, China, Saba, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic;
May (10): Niger, Greece, Saba, Cyprus, Solomon Islands, Turkey, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Chile, Uzbekistan;
June (6): Maldives, Thailand, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saba, Kenya, Ghana;
July (7): Mozambique, U.S. Virgin Islands, Laos, Myanmar, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Northern Mariana Islands;
August (6): Solomon Islands, Mexico, Australia, Cocos Islands, Paraguay, U.S. Virgin Islands;
September (18): Laos, Taiwan, Japan, Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Mexico, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Botswana, St. Barthelemy, Mayotte, Argentina, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory;
October (11): Algeria, Brazil, Tunisia, Turkey, Cyprus, Jordan, Peru, Myanmar, Northern Marianas Islands, Botswana, Maldives;
November (11): Luxembourg, Finland, Nepal, Mexico, Aland Islands, Sweden, Maldives, Northern Marianas, Taiwan, Swaziland, Sudan; and
December (11): Mexico, Ghana, Pakistan, Algeria, Qatar, Maldives, Niger, Taiwan, Dominica, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands.
One Monthly National/Territorial Cold Record Beaten or Tied in 2020
April: St. Eustatius.
An October monthly record reported in Aruba was judged to be unreliable.
Hemispherical and Continental Temperature Records in 2020
Highest minimum temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere in January: 29.1C (84.4F) at Bonriki, Kiribati, January 17;
Highest maximum temperature ever recorded in North America in January: 42.0C (107.6F) at Vicente Guerrero, Mexico, January 21;
Highest temperature ever recorded in continental Antarctica and highest February temperature ever recorded in Antarctica plus the surrounding islands: 18.4C (65.1F) at Base Esperanza, February 6;
Highest minimum temperature ever recorded in February in Antarctica: 7.6C (45.7F) at Base Marambio, February 9;
Highest minimum temperature ever recorded in February in the Northern Hemisphere: 32.0C (89.6F) at Yelimane, Mali, February 23;
Highest minimum temperature ever recorded in April in the Southern Hemisphere: 31.1C (88.0F) at Argyle, Australia, April 2;
Highest minimum temperature ever recorded in May in Europe: 30.1C (86.2F) at Emponas, Greece, May 17;
Highest minimum temperature ever recorded in May in North America: 35.0C (95.0F) at Death Valley, California (U.S.), May 28;
Highest temperature ever recorded in the polar regions: 38.0C (100.4F) at Verkhoyansk, Russia, June 20;
Highest reliable temperature ever recorded on Earth: 54.4C (129.9F) at Death Valley, California, August 16;
Highest reliable minimum temperature ever recorded in August in North America: 40.0C (104.0F) at Death Valley, California (U.S.), August 17;
Highest temperature ever recorded in Australia and Oceana in August: 40.7C (105.3F) at Yampi Sound, Australia, August 22; beaten again with 41.2C (106.2F) at West Roebuck, Australia, on August 23; and
Highest temperature ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere in November: 44.8C (112.6F) at San Francisco and Tubares, Mexico, November 5.
December 2020: Earth's Eighth-Warmest December on Record
December 2020 was the eighth-warmest December since global record-keeping began in 1880, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information reported January 14. NASA and the European Copernicus Climate Change Service rated the month as the sixth-warmest December on record, and the Japan Meteorological Agency rated it as the tenth-warmest. Again: Minor differences in rankings often occur among various research groups, the result of different ways they handle data-sparse regions such as the Arctic.
Figure 3. Departure of sea surface temperature from average in the benchmark Nio 3.4 region of the eastern tropical Pacific (5N-5S, 170W-120W). Sea surface temperature were approximately one degree Celsius below average over the past month, characteristic of moderate La Nia conditions. Tropical Tidbits
A Moderate La Nia Event Continues
La Nia conditions remained in the moderate range during December and early January, prompting NOAA to continue its La Nia advisory in a January 14 monthly discussion of the state of the El Nio/Southern Oscillation, or ENSO.
Over the past month, sea surface temperatures in the benchmark Nio 3.4 region of the eastern tropical Pacific (5N-5S, 170W-120W) have been approximately 1 degree Celsius below average. The threshold for "strong" La Nia conditions is 1.5 degrees Celsius below average; "moderate" La Nia conditions are 1.0-1.5 degrees below average.
Forecasters at NOAA and at Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate and Society expect La Nia conditions will continue through the winter (95% chance during January-February-March), and potentially transition to "neutral" during the spring (55% chance during April-May-June). About half of all La Nia events continue into a second year, but fewer than 20% of the ENSO models predicted that La Nia conditions would last into the summer of 2021.
Arctic Sea Ice: Third-Lowest December Extent on Record
Arctic sea ice extent during December 2020 was the third-lowest in the 42-year satellite record, behind 2016 and 2017, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Antarctic sea ice extent in December 2020 was near-average.
Notable Global Heat and Cold Marks for December 2020
Hottest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: 41.5C (106.7F) at Matam, Senegal, December 2;
Coldest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere: -57.5C (-71.5F) at Oymykon, Russia, December 29;
Hottest temperature in the Southern Hemisphere: 48.7C (119.7F) at Birdsville, Australia, December 5; and
Coldest temperature in the Southern Hemisphere: -44.9C (-48.8F) at Dome A, Antarctica, December 3.
Major Weather Stations' New All-Time Heat or Cold Records in December 2020
Among global stations with a record of at least 40 years, two stations set all-time cold records in December, and no stations set an all-time heat record:
Hamamasu (Japan) min. -21.5C (-6.7F), December 31; and
Bibai (Japan) min. -26.5C (-15.7F), December 31.
Statistics courtesy of Maximiliano Herrera.
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
See original here:
Can We Enjoy Meat and Seafood and Save the Planet? - EcoWatch
- Signal of Benefit for Stem Cell Therapy in Progressive MS - Medscape - March 7th, 2024
- The Controversies Surrounding Stem Cell Therapy for Autism - The Portugal News - February 24th, 2024
- Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy - News Channel 5 Nashville - February 7th, 2024
- What is Stem Cell Therapy & How It Helps Others - Publicist Paper - January 31st, 2024
- A guide to stem cell therapy in Thailand - Thaiger - January 4th, 2024
- Half of pediatric patients with aHUS benefit from Soliris after... - AHUS News - December 21st, 2023
- Real world analysis on the determinants of survival in primary ... - Nature.com - December 5th, 2023
- The Best Beauty Gifts According To People Who Really Know Skin Care - HuffPost - December 5th, 2023
- The Eyepopping Factory Construction Boom in the US - WOLF STREET - December 3rd, 2023
- Benefit of Neoadjuvant Therapy Illustrated During ESMO Congress ... - Targeted Oncology - December 1st, 2023
- Benefits Outweigh Risks as FDA Inspects CAR-T Cell Therapy ... - Curetoday.com - December 1st, 2023
- Review What Real Cavityn Customers Say About Benefits and Side ... - Seattle Weekly - December 1st, 2023
- 'There is a Scientific Fraud Epidemic' - Slashdot - Slashdot - December 1st, 2023
- 15 Best Hydrating Serums to Soothe Any Skin Type 2023 - Town & Country - December 1st, 2023
- Innovations in Cosmetic Dermatology: A Glimpse into the Future - APN News - December 1st, 2023
- FDA Probes New Cases of Cancer That May Stem From Cancer Cell ... - MedCity News - November 29th, 2023
- Use of plant stem cells in topical formulations on the rise - CosmeticsDesign.com USA - November 29th, 2023
- Stem cell-based treatment controls blood sugar in people with Type ... - EurekAlert - November 29th, 2023
- Biologics Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% by 2034: Visiongain - Yahoo Finance - November 29th, 2023
- Scientists devise new technique that can pinpoint the causes and ... - EurekAlert - November 29th, 2023
- Global Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products Market is on the brink ... - PharmiWeb.com - November 29th, 2023
- Introducing Orgavalue - The 2023 EIT InnoStars Awards winner - EU-Startups - November 29th, 2023
- Episode 160: Euan Ashley discusses precision medicine and the ... - IHMC - November 29th, 2023
- Is Phenq Right For You? Review The Facts Before Making a ... - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber - November 27th, 2023
- Cavityn Reviews - Does It Work? Cheap Scam or Effective ... - The Daily World - November 25th, 2023
- Trend Hunting With Beautystreams At Cosmoprof Asia 2023 - BeautyMatter - November 25th, 2023
- FDA Considers First CRISPR Gene Editing Treatment That May ... - Slashdot - November 25th, 2023
- How Do Plants Determine Where the Light Is Coming From? - Lab Manager Magazine - November 25th, 2023
- Deaths From Coal Pollution Have Dropped, But Emissions May be ... - Slashdot - November 25th, 2023
- Stem cell-based therapies for stroke in newborns - Cochrane - November 23rd, 2023
- Dr Leslie on Outpatient CAR T-Cell Therapy Programs for ... - OncLive - November 23rd, 2023
- Human Milk-Based Therapy May Be Beneficial in Blood Cancers - Curetoday.com - November 23rd, 2023
- Oncological Horizons: The Synergy of Medical and Surgical ... - Cureus - November 23rd, 2023
- Human and environmental safety of carbon nanotubes across their ... - Nature.com - November 23rd, 2023
- Immix Biopharma to Host KOL Event to Discuss its BCMA-Targeted ... - BioSpace - November 23rd, 2023
- #HearTheMarsdenKids call on NHS London to reconsider cancer ... - Metro.co.uk - November 23rd, 2023
- Diagnosis and Management of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with ... - Dove Medical Press - November 23rd, 2023
- BioLineRx Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results and ... - PR Newswire - November 21st, 2023
- Why our Award Winners Beauty Box is the ultimate beauty gift (for ... - Yahoo Singapore News - November 21st, 2023
- SightCare Reviews - Is Official Website for Sight Care Legit to Try or ... - Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber - November 21st, 2023
- Legend Biotech Reports Third Quarter 2023 Results and Recent ... - StreetInsider.com - November 21st, 2023
- Lorenzo's Oil: Can It Really Treat ALD? - Verywell Health - November 19th, 2023
- Doctor Says Living To 120 By End Of Decade Is Possible What's the Secret? - Benzinga - November 19th, 2023
- The week in pharma: action, reaction and insight week to ... - The Pharma Letter - November 19th, 2023
- Race Cannot Be Used To Predict Heart Disease, Scientists Say ... - Slashdot - November 19th, 2023
- SpaceX's Starship Reaches Outer Space Before Intentional ... - Slashdot - November 19th, 2023
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market is projected to reach USD 3,319 million by 2030 according to a new research r... - WhaTech Technology and Markets News - November 17th, 2023
- LMRUK: Protecting the next generation through cord blood - Charity Today News - November 17th, 2023
- Anti-aging molecule discovered that extends lifespan - Earth.com - November 17th, 2023
- Montana State researcher envisions living building materials that ... - Montana State University - November 17th, 2023
- OxyHelp Explores the Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for ... - StreetInsider.com - November 15th, 2023
- Health benefits of bone marrow - Pakistan Observer - November 15th, 2023
- Evolving the standard of care: What is next for functional ... - NeuroNews International - November 15th, 2023
- Affimed Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results and ... - BioSpace - November 15th, 2023
- Meet the World's First Whole-Eye Transplant Recipient - TIME - November 15th, 2023
- Calidi Biotherapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2023 Operating and ... - Business Wire - November 15th, 2023
- 10 Asia-Pacific biotech companies leading innovation in the region - Labiotech.eu - November 15th, 2023
- Fitspresso Reviews (November Update) Natural Ingredients That ... - Bainbridge Island Review - November 15th, 2023
- 2seventy bio Reports Third Quarter Financial Results and Recent ... - Business Wire - November 15th, 2023
- Japan To Create $6.6 Billion Fund To Develop Outer Space Industry ... - Slashdot - November 15th, 2023
- Be The Match, Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards 2023 - Ad Age - November 13th, 2023
- Medicare coverage saves lives. Enrolling shouldn't be this ... - Kevin MD - November 13th, 2023
- Future Ocean Foods: 36 Global Alt-Seafood Startups Form Association To Tackle Overfishing, Microplastics & More - Green Queen Media - November 13th, 2023
- Orchard Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results ... - StreetInsider.com - November 13th, 2023
- Celebrity doctor reveals Hollywoods hidden trend of stem cell antiaging therapies - Longevity.Technology - November 11th, 2023
- Amazon Expands Healthcare Push With One Medical Benefits For ... - Slashdot - November 11th, 2023
- Bene Meat Technologies becomes the first to receive EU approval ... - Pet Food Processing - November 11th, 2023
- FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to MAIA Biotechnology for THIO as a Treatment for Glioblastoma - Yahoo Finance - November 11th, 2023
- MaaT Pharma Provides Third Quarter 2023 Business Update and ... - Business Wire - November 11th, 2023
- IN8bio Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Provides ... - GlobeNewswire - November 11th, 2023
- Fast Lean Pro Reviews - Overpriced or Optimal Ingredients That ... - Journal of the San Juan Islands - November 11th, 2023
- Fate Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results and ... - GlobeNewswire - November 11th, 2023
- Worlds first whole-eye and partial face transplant gives Arkansas man new hope - CNN - November 9th, 2023
- Glowing Fingertips And Green Eyes: First-of-Its-Kind Monkey ... - ScienceAlert - November 9th, 2023
- 10 Natural Body Scrubs That Exfoliate And Invigorate My Skin - PINKVILLA - November 9th, 2023
- CRISPR Therapeutics Provides Business Update and Reports Third ... - StreetInsider.com - November 9th, 2023
- Fate Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results and ... - StreetInsider.com - November 9th, 2023
- Sight Care Reviews - Overpriced or Worth the Hype? SightCare Pills ... - Journal of the San Juan Islands - November 9th, 2023
- 6 Amazing Health Benefits Of Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) - WION - November 9th, 2023
- The Global Market for Bispecific Antibody Therapeutics Contract Manufacturing 2023-2030: Driven by Demand for Innovative Therapies and Promising... - November 7th, 2023
Recent Comments