The year 2023 has left a grim mark on our planet’s climate history. From record-breaking heat to devastating droughts, floods and wildfires, weather extremes have had a global impact. According to NOAA, September 2023 ranks as the warmest September in the 174 years of its record, and global surface temperatures during the first nine months of the year have reached record highs.
Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) confirm that the summer of 2023 has been the hottest summer on Earth since global records began in 1880. This year has exceeded all previous Septembers by 0.93 degrees Celsius, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Shocking examples of this climate crisis have manifested themselves around the world. In Miami, the heat and humidity were unusually prolonged, recording a record 175 hours with a heat index of 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, more than triple the previous record. In addition, a large swath stretching from the Gulf of Mexico coast to the Caribbean is headed for a record year of high temperatures, with Puerto Rico recording an unprecedented 135 days of heat alerts.
Canada has been no exception, as its fire season started early and exploded due to droughts and record temperatures across much of the country, reaching an all-time high of 18.4 million hectares burned.
Droughts also continue to affect many regions. Since October 2020, the Horn of Africa has been facing its worst drought in 40 years, following five record-breaking rainy seasons. This crisis has had devastating effects in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, where tens of thousands of people have lost their lives, crops have withered, livestock have starved and water shortages are an increasingly alarming reality.
Greece also experienced heavy storms and record rainfall, with unusually high levels of precipitation causing flooding and significant damage in the center of the country. In comparison, Athens receives an annual average of 400 millimeters of rainfall, while in a single day, Zagora, a town near Mount Pelion, received 754 millimeters, resulting in severe river flooding and destruction.
In India, the Yamuna River exceeded flood level for the first time in 45 years, leading to massive evacuations and causing considerable damage.
This year is a shocking reminder that climate change is an urgent reality affecting every corner of the world. Action is essential to meet these challenges. Together, we must forge a path to a more sustainable and resilient future. This is not just a call to action; it is a pressing need that we cannot ignore.
