The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), operated by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the EU Commission, monitored several key climate indicators throughout the year 2023 and reported record conditions.

Such as the warmest month on record and daily global temperature averages that briefly exceeded pre-industrial levels by more than 2°C. Unprecedented global temperatures from June led to 2023 becoming the hottest year on record.

2023 has been confirmed as the warmest calendar year in global temperature records dating back to 1850. For the first time in history, every day of the year was more than 1°C above pre-industrial levels of 1850-1900. Nearly 50% of days were more than 1,5°C warmer than 1850-1900 levels, and two days in November were more than 2°C warmer for the first time.

Unprecedented sea surface temperatures

July and August 2023 were the warmest two months on record. December 2023 was the warmest December on record globally, with an average temperature of 13,51°C, 0,85°C above the 1991-2020 average, and 1,78°C above the 1850-1900 level for that month.

Global mean sea surface temperatures (SST) remained persistently and unusually high, reaching record highs for the time of year from April to December. The unprecedented SSTs were accompanied by maritime heat waves worldwide, including in parts of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, and much of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Hottest summer ever in Europe

2023 was the second warmest year for Europe, 1,02°C above the 1991-2020 average, 0,17°C cooler than 2020, the hottest year on record. Temperatures in Europe were 11 months above average in 2023, and Europe had the hottest summer ever measured.

Many extreme events have been recorded worldwide, including heat waves, floods, drought, and forest fires. Estimated global carbon emissions from forest fires in 2023 increased by 30% compared to 2022, mainly due to ongoing forest fires in Canada.

Extremes

Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service: “The extremes we have seen in recent months dramatically demonstrate how far we are from the climate in which our civilization developed. This has profound implications for the Paris Agreement and all human endeavors. If we change our portfolio of climate risks to manage it successfully, we must urgently decarbonize our economy while using climate data and knowledge to prepare for the future.”