January 2024 was the warmest January on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
C3S found global surface air temperature to be 13.14°C for January. This is around 0.70°C higher than the 1991-2020 average for the month, as well as 0.12°C higher than what was previously the warmest January on record in 2020. Global mean temperature was revealed to be the highest on record too – 0.64°C higher than the 1991-2020 average and, notably, 1.52°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.
Reflecting on this, C3S Deputy Director, Samantha Burgess stressed that “rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” are the only way to stop global temperatures from continuing to increase.
Outside of the polar regions, the average global sea surface temperature was 20.97°C. This is once more the highest recorded in January and second highest monthly temperature in the ERA5 dataset that C3S uses. August 2023 was the highest, though this has since been cleared this since the end of January,
While the ongoing El Niño episode has been a factor, the sea surface temperature has also remained high outside of the equatorial Pacific. This is the region most heavily impacted by El Niño. This “exceptional” warmth occurring in oceans has been a big factor behind what has been record global surface air temperatures in January.
