Concerns surrounding global warming or sudden climatic changes have been on the rise, largely due to human activities. Because of this, 2016 was declared as one of the hottest years on Earth.
According to a report shared by the World Meteorological Organization, the drastic climatic change noticed in 2016 is looking to make a comeback in 2017 as well.
"Even without a strong El Niño in 2017, we are seeing other remarkable changes across the planet that are challenging the limits of our understanding of the climate system," says David Carlson, the director of WMO.
The report will be presented to UN member states, as well as several climate experts, at a high-level action conference to be held on March 23 in New York.
Climate Change Trend: 2016 Weather Extremities
The report reveals that 2016 was an extremely crucial period in terms of climatic changes. It was one of the warmest years in the history of Earth, recording a rise in temperature by 1.1 degrees Centigrade above the pre-industrial period, breaking the previous record of a 0.06 degree Centigrade rise in temperature in 2015.
The occurrence of the very powerful El Nino in turn increased the temperature along with the long-term climate change because of green house gas emissions. One of the most important events of 2016 includes the catastrophic drought, which resulted in food insecurity to millions of people in Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, as well as Central America.
Super storms like Hurricane Mathew also caused a massive destruction in regions like Haiti, the United States, and Eastern and Southern Asia. On the other hand, Eastern and Southern Asia were affected with heavy rainfall combined with floods.
Climatic Extremities Continue In 2017
According to latest studies, which were not included in WMO's report, heat content in oceans may have increased even more than previously noted. The Arctic has also experienced Polar equivalent heat waves at least three times this winter.
This leads one to surmise that even during the coldest days of the Arctic winter, there were some times when ice was close to melting point. Apart from the Arctic, Antarctica's sea ice has also shown a decline compared with the trend in recent years.
Carlson, the director of World Climate Research Programme, stated that even in the absence of an El Niño in 2017, experts are observing extraordinary climatic changes across the planet. This is challenging the current understanding of the climate system.
Photo: Claire Rowland | Flickr
