April Sees Near-Record High Global Temperatures: EU Report

PARIS: According to the EU’s climate monitoring service, global temperatures remained at near-record highs in April, perpetuating an unprecedented period of heat and raising concerns about the speed of global warming.

This remarkable heatwave was expected to diminish as warmer El Niño conditions receded last year; however, temperatures have stubbornly remained at or near record-breaking levels well into this year.

“As we approach 2025, we anticipated a return to normalcy, yet we find ourselves in a phase of accelerated warming,” remarked Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

“We seem to be in a state of limbo. The reasons behind this situation are not fully understood, but it is a highly concerning indicator,” he added to AFP.

The latest report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service revealed that April marked the second hottest month recorded in its dataset, which is based on billions of measurements collected from satellites, ships, planes, and weather stations.

Remarkably, all but one of the past 22 months have exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold established in the Paris Agreement, beyond which significant and enduring climate changes become increasingly likely.

Missed Goals

Many scientists now believe that this 1.5°C target is likely unattainable and that we may surpass it within a few years.

A substantial study involving numerous leading climate scientists, which has yet to undergo peer review, indicates that global warming reached 1.36°C in 2024.

According to Copernicus, the current warming level stands at 1.39°C, with projections suggesting that the 1.5°C benchmark could be reached by mid-2029 or even sooner based on recent trends.

“In just four years, we could surpass the 1.5 degrees mark. The crucial point is not to focus solely on the two-degree threshold but to center attention on 1.51 degrees,” stated Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which manages Copernicus.

Julien Cattiaux, a climate scientist with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), noted that crossing the 1.5°C threshold is likely before 2030, but that doesn’t mean we should lose hope.

“The alarming statistics highlight an accelerated rate of warming. While it’s said that every fraction of a degree matters, those are currently accumulating rapidly,” he told AFP.

“Nonetheless, we cannot let this deter our efforts to act.”

“Unprecedented” Conditions

Scientists broadly agree that the combustion of fossil fuels has primarily driven the long-term global warming trend, which has intensified the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

However, uncertainty persists regarding what additional factors might be influencing this ongoing heatwave.

Experts suggest that alterations in global cloud dynamics, air pollution, and the Earth’s capacity to sequester carbon in natural reservoirs like forests and oceans could also be contributing to the planet’s overheating.

This heat surge led to 2023 and 2024 being recorded as the hottest years in history, with 2025 projected to follow closely behind.

“The past two years have been extraordinary,” Burgess remarked.

“They still fall within the predictions of current climate models, but we are operating at the upper limits of that range.”

She noted that while the current warming rate is concerning, whether it’s a long-term trend remains uncertain, emphasizing the need for more comprehensive data.

Copernicus’s records date back to 1940, but various other climate data sources, such as ice cores, tree rings, and coral skeletons, allow scientists to make assessments stretching much further into the past.

Experts believe we are likely experiencing the warmest period on Earth in the last 125,000 years.