The global temperature isn’t just rising—it’s smashing records, a stark reality confirmed by 2023's unparalleled heat, accelerating ocean warming, and more frequent extreme weather disasters.
Key Takeaways
- The global average surface temperature in 2023 was the highest on record at 1.18°C (2.12°F) above the 1951-1980 baseline.
- Earth's average surface temperature has risen about 2°F (1.1°C) since the late 19th century.
- The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 2014, with 2023 being the hottest.
- Annual precipitation over global land areas increased by 2% from 1980 to 2020.
- The contiguous United States received 35.8 inches of precipitation in 2023, 3% above average.
- Global average precipitation over oceans increased by 1.5% per degree Celsius of warming.
- In 2023, 2024 named storms formed in the Atlantic, tying for third-most active.
- Typhoon Mawar in 2023 was the strongest to hit Guam since 1992 with 165 mph winds.
- The 2023 Pacific typhoon season had 17 named storms, below average.
- The U.S. experienced 28 weather disasters costing $1B+ each in 2023, most intense drought season on record.
- Global drought frequency increased 29% since 2000.
- Canada’s 2023 wildfire season burned 18.5 million hectares, exacerbated by drought.
- Hurricane Harvey (2017) was the wettest U.S. tropical cyclone with 60 inches rain.
- The 1936 North American heat wave killed over 5,000.
- Europe’s 2003 heat wave caused 70,000 excess deaths.
Record heat in 2023 underscores an accelerating global climate crisis.
Droughts and Heatwaves
- The U.S. experienced 28 weather disasters costing $1B+ each in 2023, most intense drought season on record.
- Global drought frequency increased 29% since 2000.
- Canada’s 2023 wildfire season burned 18.5 million hectares, exacerbated by drought.
- Europe’s 2022 drought was the worst in 500 years.
- U.S. Corn Belt Palmer Drought Severity Index averaged -1.5 in 2023.
- The Horn of Africa faced its longest drought on record, 40 months by 2023.
- Australia’s 2023 drought affected 80% of farmland.
- Global cropland drought exposure tripled since 1940.
- California’s megadrought persisted for 22 years by 2023.
- China’s Yangtze River basin had 50% below-average flow in 2022 drought.
- Amazon drought in 2023 caused 20% tree mortality increase.
- Southern Africa’s 2023-2024 El Niño drought impacted 62 million people.
- U.S. heatwave days increased 3 per decade since 1960.
- Europe’s 2023 heatwaves caused 61,000 excess deaths.
- Global heatwave frequency rose 5-fold since 1950.
- India’s 2022 heatwave reached 49.2°C, killing 90.
- Phoenix, AZ set record 113 consecutive days above 100°F in 2023.
- Global soil moisture drought index declined 8% since 1970.
- Spain’s 2023 reservoir levels dropped to 41% capacity.
- The 2023 Canadian heat dome caused temperatures up to 37°C in Yukon.
- Flash drought frequency in U.S. increased 5-fold since 2000.
- Global megadroughts now as frequent as once per century.
- Texas 2023 summer heat index averaged 45°C.
- Mediterranean drought area expanded 20% since 2000.
- Heatwave duration in China increased 40% since 1960.
- Global agricultural drought losses reached $200B annually by 2020s.
- U.S. West megadrought probability 42% attributable to climate change.
- Siberia’s 2021 heatwave and drought burned 18M ha forests.
- The number of U.S. states in D4 exceptional drought peaked at 0 in 2023 but averaged 5%.
- Global extreme heat exposure increased 500% since 1900.
Droughts and Heatwaves Interpretation
It seems Mother Nature is keeping the receipts for all our environmental debts, and she’s now presenting the bill with increasingly severe and frequent droughts, heatwaves, and disasters that are making our planet feel like it’s running a permanent, life-threatening fever.
Extreme Weather Records
- Hurricane Harvey (2017) was the wettest U.S. tropical cyclone with 60 inches rain.
- The 1936 North American heat wave killed over 5,000.
- Europe’s 2003 heat wave caused 70,000 excess deaths.
- Blizzard of 1888 in New York dropped 50 inches snow.
- The 1991 Perfect Storm had waves up to 100 ft.
- Australia’s 2019-2020 bushfires burned 24M ha.
- U.S. records 588 daily temperature records broken in 2023.
- The 1816 "Year Without a Summer" global temp dropped 0.4-0.7°C.
- Pakistan 2022 floods covered 33M ha, 1/3 of country.
- Russia’s 2010 heat wave killed 56,000, cost $15B.
- The 1970 Bhola cyclone killed 500,000 in Bangladesh.
- U.S. January 2018 bomb cyclone winds hit 100 mph.
- China’s 2021 Henan floods killed 398, rainfall 20 inches/hr.
- The Dust Bowl 1930s had 100+ mph winds.
- Europe 2018 heatwave set 1,500 records, up to 45°C.
- U.S. 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome hit 49.6°C in Canada.
- The 1887 Yellow River flood killed 900,000-2M.
- India 2005 Mumbai deluge 37 inches in 24 hrs.
- The 1993 U.S. Midwest flood lasted 7 months, $15B damage.
- Australia’s 1974 Brisbane flood 12 inches rain/day.
- The 1900 Galveston hurricane killed 8,000.
- Europe’s 2021 Storm Eunice winds 122 mph.
- U.S. 2012 Derecho storm 70+ mph winds across 700 miles.
- The 1953 North Sea flood killed 2,500.
- Japan’s 2018 Typhoon Jebi strongest since 1993.
- U.S. 2020 Midwest derecho cost $11B, 100+ mph winds.
- The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane killed 2,500.
- Global thunderstorm days average 16M per year.
- U.S. tornadoes averaged 1,200 annually 1991-2020.
Extreme Weather Records Interpretation
From record-breaking heat and torrential floods to historic storms and devastating droughts, these statistics collectively whisper a scream: our planet’s weather is not just behaving badly, it's writing tragedies with an increasingly extreme and costly pen.
Global Temperature
- The global average surface temperature in 2023 was the highest on record at 1.18°C (2.12°F) above the 1951-1980 baseline.
- Earth's average surface temperature has risen about 2°F (1.1°C) since the late 19th century.
- The 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 2014, with 2023 being the hottest.
- Global mean near-surface temperature for 2023 was around 1.45°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.
- The global land and ocean temperature anomaly for June 2024 was +1.21°C above the 20th-century average.
- From 1880 to 2023, Earth's temperature has warmed by 0.08°C per decade on average.
- The year 2016 remains the warmest on record prior to 2023 with a temperature anomaly of +0.99°C.
- Arctic amplification has caused temperatures in the Arctic to rise at least twice as fast as the global average.
- Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high of 20.96°C in 2023.
- The rate of global warming accelerated to 0.20°C per decade since 1982.
- 2023 saw 49% of global land areas experience record warm temperatures.
- The global average temperature for the decade 2014-2023 was 1.19°C above pre-industrial levels.
- Ocean heat content reached a new record high in 2023, equivalent to 142 zettajoules since 1955.
- Tropospheric temperature anomalies over the contiguous U.S. were +1.58°C in 2023.
- Global lower troposphere temperatures were +0.88°C above the 1991-2020 average in 2023.
- The Southern Hemisphere had its warmest year on record in 2023 at +1.03°C anomaly.
- Northern Hemisphere temperature anomaly reached +1.62°C in 2023.
- Global temperatures temporarily exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for several days in 2023.
- The 2023 global temperature was 0.24°C warmer than the previous record set in 2016.
- From 1850-1900 to 2011-2020, global surface temperature increased by 0.99°C [0.84-1.10°C].
- Annual global mean sea level has risen by 21-24 cm since 1880.
- Glacier mass loss worldwide averaged 289 Gt per year from 2000-2023.
- Antarctic sea ice extent was the lowest on record in February 2023 at 1.79 million km².
- Greenland ice sheet lost an average of 270 Gt of ice per year from 2002-2023.
- Global snow cover extent has decreased by 1.3-1.8% per decade since 1970.
- Permafrost temperatures in the Arctic have warmed by up to 3°C since the 1980s.
- The number of record high temperature days in the U.S. has doubled since 1960.
- Global nighttime temperatures have warmed faster than daytime temperatures.
- The urban heat island effect amplifies city temperatures by 1-3°C on average.
- Satellite data shows Earth's land surface warmed by 0.61°C per decade from 2001-2020.
- Global average temperature for July 2024 was 0.81°C above the 1991-2020 average.
Global Temperature Interpretation
Earth has officially broken its own fever record year after year, with every vital sign—from the scorching oceans and melting poles to the overheated atmosphere—screaming that we are conducting a reckless, planet-wide experiment with the only home we've got.
Precipitation and Rainfall
- Annual precipitation over global land areas increased by 2% from 1980 to 2020.
- The contiguous United States received 35.8 inches of precipitation in 2023, 3% above average.
- Global average precipitation over oceans increased by 1.5% per degree Celsius of warming.
- India recorded its wettest year on record in 2023 with monsoon rainfall 108% of long-period average.
- Australia’s national rainfall for 2023 was 10% above the 1961-1990 average.
- Extreme precipitation events that occur once every 5 years increased 37% in the U.S. since 1960.
- Global intense precipitation events have increased by 7% per 1°C of warming.
- The Amazon basin experienced its second-driest year in 2023 since 1981.
- Europe saw record precipitation in 2023 with +14% above 1991-2020 average.
- U.S. annual precipitation has increased by 4% since 1901.
- China’s national average precipitation in 2023 was 7.2% above normal.
- The Sahel region in Africa had 20% above-average rainfall during 2023 monsoon.
- Global river discharge increased by 5-10% in high latitudes since 1950.
- Southeast Asia precipitation anomalies reached +20% in late 2023.
- Canada’s precipitation total for 2023 was 6% above 1991-2020 normal.
- South America had -10% precipitation anomaly in 2023, leading to droughts.
- The U.S. Northeast saw 15% increase in heavy rain events since 1958.
- Global monsoon precipitation intensity increased by 6% from 1980-2020.
- Africa’s precipitation variability increased 20% since 1970.
- Pacific Northwest U.S. winter precipitation increased 20% since 1900.
- Global snow water equivalent decreased 13% per decade in Northern Hemisphere.
- India’s extreme rainfall events doubled in frequency from 1950-2015.
- Europe’s annual precipitation increased 7% since 1901.
- Brazil’s Northeast region had 30% below-average rainfall in 2023.
- U.S. Great Plains spring precipitation up 12% since 1980.
- Global lake levels fell 20% on average since 1990 due to precipitation changes.
- Hurricane rainfall rates increased 7% per decade since 1980.
- The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season produced 7% more rain than average.
Precipitation and Rainfall Interpretation
It seems our planet has decided to become a more dramatic, rain-soaked version of itself, with some starkly dry exceptions proving the rule.
Tropical Cyclones
- In 2023, 2024 named storms formed in the Atlantic, tying for third-most active.
- Typhoon Mawar in 2023 was the strongest to hit Guam since 1992 with 165 mph winds.
- The 2023 Pacific typhoon season had 17 named storms, below average.
- Hurricane Idalia in 2023 caused $3.5 billion in damages in Florida.
- Global tropical cyclone frequency decreased 13% since 1980 but intensity rose.
- Cyclone Freddy in 2023 was the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record at 36 days.
- The Atlantic had 14 hurricanes in 2020, the most in a single season.
- Typhoon Haiyan (2013) remains the deadliest Philippine typhoon with 6,300 deaths.
- Hurricane Ian (2022) was the costliest U.S. hurricane with $112.9 billion damages.
- The 2024 Atlantic season forecast predicts 17-25 named storms.
- Super Typhoon Yagi (2024) had 195 mph winds, strongest in 2024.
- North Indian Ocean had 5 depressions in 2023, average activity.
- Hurricane Otis (2023) rapidly intensified to Cat 5 in 12 hours, record.
- Global accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index averaged 25-35 x10^4 kt² per season.
- Eastern North Pacific had 10 hurricanes in 2023, above average.
- Tropical cyclone wind speeds increased 5-10% since 1980.
- The Western North Pacific had 25 typhoons in 2023.
- Hurricane Helene (2024) rainfall totals exceeded 30 inches in parts of North Carolina.
- Category 4+ tropical cyclones increased 25% in some basins since 1970.
- Australia’s 2023-2024 cyclone season had 11 cyclones.
- Hurricane Milton (2024) struck Florida as a rare Cat 5.
- South Indian Ocean cyclones numbered 9 in 2023, near average.
- The proportion of major hurricanes doubled since the 1980s.
- Hurricane Beryl (2024) was the earliest Cat 5 on record.
- Global TC rainfall increased 10-15% per degree warming.
- 2023 Southwest Indian Ocean had 11 cyclones.
Tropical Cyclones Interpretation
Mother Nature seems to be refining her technique, trading a few more modest storms for fewer but far more potent and record-smashing ones that pack a devastating, and costly, punch.
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