Arthur J. Villasanta – Fourth Estate Contributor
Geneva, Switzerland (4E) – This year will become the world’s third hottest year on record, and that’s without the warming effect brought about by El Niño in the Pacific Ocean.
This new and disturbing statistic is all but certain, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
It said this demoralizing record for 2017 will occur without a boost from El Niño, which brings warm waters to the tropical east Pacific. El Niño years see a transfer of heat from the Pacific Ocean to the lower atmosphere.
This heat transfer can raise global average temperatures recorded at the surface by an extra 0.1 to 0.2℃. This year’s temperatures, however, have remained high even without El Niño.
WMO said it can already say with confidence that 2017 will indeed be the warmest non-El Niño year on record, and will be warmer than any year before 2015. The average global temperature between January to September this year was some 1.1℃ warmer than the pre-industrial average.
WMO said this trend is associated with rising greenhouse gas concentrations. It revealed that 2017 has seen record high global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and the biggest recorded surge in CO₂ levels. It was truly a year of climate extremes.
Scientists reported that on February 13, global sea ice extent reached its lowest point on record, amid a record low winter for Arctic ice.
Since then the Arctic Sea ice extent still remains well below the satellite-era average. Antarctic Sea ice extent also remains low, but is no longer at record low levels as it was in February and March of this year.
East Africa saw continued drought with failure of the long rains helping trigger food insecurity and population displacement, particularly in Somalia.
This year also saw a very active North Atlantic hurricane season. Parts of the southern United States and the Caribbean were hit by devastating and deadly hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma and Maria.
WMO said it’s clear that people are warming the climate. Many of this year’s heat waves and hot spells have already been linked to human-caused climate change.
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