Average temperature of the earth

These are bad times for the planet's climate. The exponential increase in CO₂ emissions, the result of human activity, has pushed the earth's thermometer since the end of the 19th century beyond the limits of the imaginable. Today we are moving dangerously close to the 2ºC threshold and, if we cross it, we will face the irreversible effects of a climate crisis without precedent in history.

Climate report data

Between 2010 and 2019 it has been warmer than ever before and this is no exaggerated weather observation. If the latest state of the climate report from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is anything to go by, we have just completed the warmest decade since records began (1850). Never before has a decade been marked by such an extraordinary rise in the Earth's average temperature, which, in 2019 was around 1.1 ºC above pre-industrial levels.

2019 will be remembered as one of the three hottest years in history — the warmest remains 2016 — and a particulary sad chapter in polar melting, with the second worst summer of the century in the Arctic. Other regions of the planet such as Asia, South America, Africa, Europe and Oceania also experienced an increase in average temperatures, which have been climbing and surpassing decade after decade since 1980.

Subsquent years have not helped temperatures to decline. 2022 was the sixth warmest year on record, tied with 2015, while previous years were also extremely hot. Europe and Asia reached their warmest temperature in the last three years (2020) and also the second warmest (2022) according to the National Centers for Environmental InformationExternal link, opens in new window. 

Climate summary 2022

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has complied a list of the main global weather events for 2022. Here are some of the most relevant ones:

 North America

Alaska had record high temperature record and several rivers basins — such as the Missouri and Mississippi — were affected by flooding between March and July.

  Central and South America

Mexico experienced the hottest August in its history and South America the second warmest year since 1909. The region also experienced hurricanes and tropical storms such as Iba.

  Europe

The Old Continent was ravaged by several heat waves, resulting in multiple fires and what was the second hottest year in the continent's history. 

  Asia

This continent experienced the second warmest year of the last century, with the biggest June heatwave in Japan's history. China and Pakistan also suffered the worst floods in years, while the east of the continent was hit by two typhoons, which made landfall in South Korea and the Phillipines, Vietnam and Laos respectively. 

  Africa

Madagascar was the worst performer in Africa, with two cyclones and a tropical storm in just one month. February, for the first time since 1988. South Africa also broke its record for rainfall in the east of the country during April. 

  Oceania

Australia experienced extreme rainfall and flooding in the east of the country during the last days of February and the first days of March,

Causes and consequences of the increase in the planet's temperature

The rise in the Earth´s average temperature in recent years— driven by the high concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere— has had serious consequences for the planet. These are the most worrying:

  Ocean flooding and melting of poles and glaciers

Sea levels rose by 0.27 cm over the past year, an increase of 9.1 centimetres since 1993. In addition to the meltic Arctic ice, Antarctic ice melt has reached its second lowest point, with only 3.36 million square miles of ice, 660,000 miles less than the 1991-2020 average.

  Ocean warming and acidification

Ocean temperatures broke records, with 2022 being the sixth warmest year ever. This warming has increased ocean acidification by 26% compared to 1750, contributing to the destruction of marine ecosystems.

  Extreme weather events

Over the past year, climate catastrophes have increased exponentially, with fires and heat waves sweeping across Europe and Asia while floods have severely affected areas such as Pakistan and South Africa, forcing the million displacement of thousands of people.

  Damage to health and food safety

In 2022, unprecedented heat waves  were recorded in Japan, South America and Europe, and a large increase in cholera and yellow fever cases compared to 2021. On the other hand, food security in parts of Africa and Asia has been compromised by droughts and floods.