Report: Planet Endured Warmest April on Record
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Facts
- According to data from the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, last month was the hottest April since records began in 1940 — marking 11 consecutive months of high global temperatures.1
- April 2024 was 1.58°C warmer than the average pre-industrial-era April and 0.67°C above the 1991-2020 average for April.2
- The 2015 Paris Agreement postulates that the world must limit global warming to 1.5°C to minimize the effects of climate change.3
- Scientists are reportedly investigating if there's been a shift in the climate system, as the global sea surface temperatures have stayed high despite the end of El Niño.4
- For most of the world's oceans, the average global sea surface temperature for April reached 21.04°C — setting a new record for the month.5
Sources: 1Independent, 2CNN, 3UN, 4Reuters and 5ABC News.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Amherst Indy. Record-breaking heatwaves are a grave threat to our way of life. Climate change must be tackled urgently, and every action counts, especially eliminating fossil fuels. The Global North must especially aid the Global South in this urgent climate crisis response.
- Narrative B, as provided by Wall Street Journal. With all the doom and gloom around climate change, the 'average global temperature' concept lacks scientific basis and varies seasonally. Characterizing Earth's warming with a single average number is impractical, especially with current measurement uncertainties and historical data gaps.