January 2024 was Earth’s warmest January since international record-keeping started in 1850 and was additionally the planet’s second-wettest January on document, NOAA’s Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Info, or NCEI, reported Feb. 14. NASA additionally rated January 2024 because the warmest January on document, 1.44 levels Celsius (2.59 °F) above the 1880-1899 interval, which is its finest estimate for when preindustrial temperatures occurred. This beat the earlier document from January 2016 by 0.03 levels Celsius (0.05 °F). The Japan Meteorological Company and the European Copernicus Local weather Change Service additionally rated January 2024 because the warmest January on document.
For the tenth consecutive month, international ocean temperatures had been the warmest on document; land areas had their third warmest January on document in 2024, based on NOAA. South America and Africa had their warmest January on document; Oceania and Australia, their third-warmest; Asia, its ninth-warmest; Europe, its Nineteenth-warmest; and North America, its Twentieth-warmest. In distinction, Antarctica had its fifth-coldest January on document.
The contiguous U.S. had near-average temperatures in January, with solely Wisconsin notching a top-10 warmest January on document. No states recorded a top-10 coldest January on document. 13 states, 10 of them within the Northeast U.S., had a top-10 wettest January on document.
El Niño weakens, anticipated to finish by June
The robust El Niño occasion within the Jap Pacific weakened throughout January however remained above the robust threshold by the top of the month. Impartial situations are anticipated to emerge by the Northern Hemisphere spring (79% likelihood in April-Could-June), NOAA reported in its February month-to-month dialogue of the state of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. Lengthy-range ENSO predictions are sometimes not dependable till after northern spring, however there’s enhanced predictability at this level when a powerful El Niño occasion is in progress. The chances of La Niña in late 2024 are rising, with rising long-range mannequin assist for a transition to La Niña later this yr. There’s additionally some climatological assist: In data going again to 1950, all 4 of the El Niño occasions that had been as robust as the present one transitioned to La Niña situations within the following yr.
Learn: Will La Niña return this fall? The tea leaves are unusually robust
The February forecast from NOAA and Columbia College’s Worldwide Analysis Institute for Local weather and Society has raised the chances from the earlier month, now calling for La Niña to be the most probably end result as quickly as June-August 2024. For the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season (August-September-October), the forecast known as for a 74% likelihood of La Niña, a 24% likelihood of ENSO-neutral, and a 2% likelihood of El Niño. El Niño situations are likely to suppress Atlantic hurricane exercise by means of a rise in wind shear, however La Niña situations are likely to have the alternative impact.
Arctic sea ice: Twentieth-lowest January extent on document
Arctic sea ice extent throughout January 2024 was the Twentieth-lowest within the 45-year satellite tv for pc document, based on the Nationwide Snow and Ice Information Heart, or NSIDC, and is approaching its annual most, which normally happens in March (see Tweet above). Although is it heartening to see Arctic sea ice not close to a document low, the ice is sort of skinny, and winter ice extent is a poor indicator of what the summer time and fall extent shall be.
Antarctic sea ice extent in January was the fourth-lowest on document and was the second-lowest on document on February 13 (see Tweet above). The seasonal most sometimes happens in late February or early March.
Notable international warmth and chilly marks for January 2024
The data beneath is courtesy of Maximiliano Herrera. Observe him on Twitter: @extremetemps:
– Hottest temperature within the Northern Hemisphere: 41.5°C (106.7°F) at Jesus Maria, Mexico, Jan. 30;– Coldest temperature within the Northern Hemisphere: -58.8°C (-73.8°F) at Yurty, Russia, Jan. 1;– Hottest temperature within the Southern Hemisphere: 49.4°C (120.9°F) at Birdsville, Australia, Jan. 25; and– Coldest temperature within the Southern Hemisphere: -46.7°C (-52.1°F) at Concordia, Antarctica, Jan. 25.
Main climate stations in January: 14 all-time warmth data, 4 all-time chilly data
Amongst international stations with a document of not less than 40 years, 14 set, not simply tied, an all-time warmth document in January, and 4 stations set an all-time chilly document:
La Tontouta (New Caledonia, France) max. 38.3°C, January 1;Taro Island (Solomon Islands) max. 35.0°C, January 2;Kvikkjokk (Sweden) min. -43.6°C, January 3;Tromelin Island (French Southern and Antarctic Lands, France) max. 35.5°C, January 4;Cilaos (Reunion, France) max. 32.0°C, January 4;Yoho Nationwide Park (Canada) min. -42.6°C, January 13;Sparwood (Canada) min. -40.3°C, January 13;Penticton (Canada) min. -27.6°C, January 13;Monte Patria (Chile) max. 42.0°C, January 14;Vicuna (Chile) max. 39.1°C, January 14;Tranque Lautaro (Chile) max. 42.1°C, January 14;Paraburdoo (Australia) max. 48.1°C, January 21;Gite de le Bellecombe (Reunion Island, France) max. 25.5°C, January 22;Talca (Chile) max. 38.8°C, January 22;Bariloche (Argentina) max. 36.4°C, January 22;Trelew (Argentina) max. 42.6°C, January 23;Bogota Airport (Colombia) max. 25.2°C, January 25; andMalargue Airport (Argentina) max. 37.0°C, January 30.
Sixteen month-to-month nationwide/territorial warmth data crushed or tied as of the top of January
Sixteen nations or territories have set month-to-month all-time warmth data in 2024:
– Jan. (16): Mayotte, Dominica, Saba, Cocos Islands, Malta, Hong Kong, Ivory Coast, Maldives, Andorra, Portugal, Costa Rica, UK, Seychelles, Martinique, St. Barthelemy, Nicaragua
No further all-time month-to-month chilly data have been set to date in 2024.
Hemispherical and continental temperature data in 2024
– Highest minimal temperature ever recorded in January in Asia: 28.5°C (83.3°F) at Bangkok Klong Thoey, Thailand, January 14
Bob Henson contributed to this submit.