One of the major elements in that forecast is our old friend: “a warming El Niño is expected to develop in the coming months and this will combine with human-induced climate change to push global temperatures into uncharted territory.
“There is a 66% likelihood that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year. There is a 98% likelihood that at least one of the next five years, and the five-year period as a whole, will be the warmest on record.”
I don’t know about you, but after a cooler and wetter than normal spring, the month of May has been a “hottie” so far in the Pacific Northwest. Earlier there were record temps in the Northeast and other areas of the nation.
For the record, I’d like to note that the air conditioning where I am this past week was broken. A repairman is due out next Monday when the temperatures are expected to have a high of 65 degrees, instead of the high 80s.
One other interesting thing in the report is that it noted that annual fluctuations in temperature can be due to climate variability. It takes a 20-year history and trends to establish actual climate warming.
I keep thinking about all the green growth that has covered California in new vegetation that came from the record rains and snow that they experienced. That will dry out and the fire danger will skyrocket with all the new fuels available to burn.
