In 2023, the planet experienced an unprecedented climate change, heralding an alarming rise in global temperatures. According to the latest monitoring data from the National Climate Center, this year became the hottest year in the world since meteorological records began, breaking the previous record for the warmest year. The temperature not only surpassed the 2016 high temperature record, but also increased by a staggering 014℃。
The average global surface temperature has risen by 142, an increase of 0 from the average from 1991 to 202053℃。This means that the planet is on a warming trend, and the effects of climate change are becoming more and more significant.
This wave of rising global temperatures is not just a digital increase, it has also left a deep imprint on geography. North and South-West East Asia, Central Asia, West and South Europe, most of East Africa, Northwest and South-Central America, and Northwest North Pacific, South Indian Ocean, and East Central North Atlantic all set historic high temperature records for these regions. Heatwaves and droughts have become the order of life in these areas, affecting agriculture, water resources and ecosystems.
And China, one of the most populous countries in the world, has unfortunately become one of the victims of rising global temperatures. In 2023, China's average temperature hit a record high since meteorological observations began, rising 0. from the average from 1991 to 202081℃。Many regions, especially the eastern part of North China, the southern part of Northeast China, the northern part of the Northwest, most of the Southwest and the southeastern part of the country, have also reached record high annual average temperatures. This change has brought great challenges to China's agriculture, water resources and ecological environment, and urgent measures are needed to adapt and mitigate this change.
On the other hand, the high mountain areas of Asia (25°N-50°N, 65°E-105°E) also experienced high temperatures in line with the global trend. In 2023, the average annual temperature in this region increased by 089, a staggering number. The rate of warming in this region is significantly higher than the global average, posing a significant threat to ecosystems and glacier melt in the high mountains of Asia.
The Arctic and Antarctic regions have not been spared from the high temperatures. In 2023, the average surface temperature in the Arctic increased by 096, ranking fourth all-time, and the Antarctic region rose by 013, ranking ninth in history. More worryingly, over the past few decades, the Arctic and the high mountains of Asia have warmed significantly faster than the global average over the same period. This trend has far-reaching implications for global sea level rise, melting glaciers, and ecosystem balance.
The latest weather** also brings information that should not be overlooked. A moderate-intensity El Niño event is expected to continue into the spring of 2024, which will further exacerbate the rise in global surface temperatures, potentially leading to consecutive months of high temperature records being broken again. It's a wake-up call that we must do more to slow climate change and protect our planet.
In conclusion, the 2023 heat record is not just a matter of numbers, it has profoundly affected every corner of the planet, threatening our environment, economy, and way of life. We need to be more aggressive in tackling climate change, taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening climate adaptation measures to ensure that future generations can live on a healthy and sustainable planet.