The World Meteorological Organization has released a meta-analysis confirming that 2017 was the second-hottest year on record.
The year 2016 remains the warmest since records began, the United Nations agency said, with an average Earth surface temperature at 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Measured global average temperatures in 2015 and 2017 came in at 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer.
The analysis consolidated millions of meteorological and marine observations from five international datasets: NASA, the NOAA, the Met Office, the Copernicus Climate Change Service, and the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Data from these sources confirmed that the last three years — 2015, 2016 and 2017 — were the warmest ever recorded.
"Despite colder than average temperatures in any one part of the world, temperatures over the planet as a whole continue the rapid warming trend we've seen over the last 40 years," said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, in a statement.
The NOAA analysis also pointed out record-low sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctica in 2017.
While NASA ranked 2017 as the second-warmest on record, the NOAA and the Japan Meteorological Agency put it as third; this divergence is due to differing methodologies. Analyses from both United States agencies show the five hottest years on record have all taken place since 2010.
Had the El Niño and La Niña patterns from 2015 to 2017 been statistically removed from the analyses, this would have made 2017 the warmest year on record, concluded the NASA and Met Office findings.
Data from all meteorological agencies indicate a long-term global warming trend. The majority of scientists agree such climate change is due to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since combustion of fossil fuels began in earnest after the 1890s.
Climate change has been tied to extreme weather being experienced around the world.
Earlier this week, a leaked draft of a UN paper indicated that the lower limit for warming set by the Paris Agreement on climate change, of 1.5 degrees Celsius, is likely to be overshot by 2040.
The World Meteorological Organization is the weather and climate-related branch of the United Nations.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Sweltering heat
Unprecedented heat waves swept across the globe in 2017, leading to droughts, wildfires and even deaths. Australia started the year with temperatures near 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), the "Lucifer" heat wave brought the mercury above 40 degrees Celsius throughout Southern Europe in July and August and scorching heat hit India's most vulnerable people. Get ready for next summer...
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Disappearing wonder
Earlier this year, scientists realized that coral bleaching in Australia's Great Barrier Reef was worse than first thought. In some parts of the UNESCO World Heritage site, up to 70 percent of the coral has already been killed. By 2050, scientists have warned 90 percent of the reef could disappear. Rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification are the main culprits.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Deadly combination
Armed conflicts are pushing millions of people to leave their homes or live in terribly precarious situations — and climate change is making it worse. A lack of natural resources increases the risk of conflict and makes life even harder for refugees. South Sudanese families, for instance, are escaping to neighboring countries like Uganda and Kenya — countries already suffering from drought.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
World on fire
From New Zealand to Spain, from California to even Greenland: the world has seen a nonstop year of wildfires. Global warming has been blamed for the increased fire risk, and in some countries that risk has turned into reality. Wildfires engulfed large areas of Europe's Iberian Peninsula, causing death and destruction, while firefighters in California have had no rest for more than six months.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Record-shattering storms
Hurricanes Maria and Irma, which hit the Caribbean region in August and September, were two of the year's most damaging weather events. The list of deadly storms also included Ophelia in Ireland, Harvey and Nate in Central America and the US, and Xavier and Sebastian in Germany. Warming of the ocean surface has led to more evaporation, and that water may help fuel thunderstorms and hurricanes.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Melting Antarctica
In July, one of the largest icebergs ever recorded separated from the Larsen C ice shelf — one of Antarctica's biggest — reducing its area by more than 12 percent. While calving icebergs in the Antarctic are part of a natural cycle, scientists have linked the retreat of several Antarctic ice shelves to global warming and are closely monitoring potential long-term effects.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Struggle to breathe
Deteriorating air quality causes thousands of deaths around the world every year. India's capital, New Delhi, is one of the world's most polluted cities. In November, large parts of northern India and Pakistan were engulfed by a blanket of thick smog carrying harmful particulate matter. Schools were forced to close, and hospitals were full of people with respiratory problems.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Oceans at risk
The high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere represent a major threat for our oceans, already in danger due to plastic pollution, overfishing and warming waters. Ocean acidification could make these waters — covering more than two-thirds of our planet's surface — a hostile environment for sea creatures. And without marine animals, entire ocean ecosystems are at risk.
-
2017: Devastating effects of climate change
Fierce floods and mudslides
Superstorms often trigger flash floods and mudslides. In late December, more than 230 people were killed when a storm hit the Philippines' second-largest island of Mindanao, a tragedy exacerbated by years of deforestation. In 2017, severe floods also hit countries such as Vietnam, Peru and Sierra Leone. European countries, including Greece and Germany, also felt the damaging effects of heavy rain.
Author: Irene Banos Ruiz
