According to a new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2020 was on par with 2016 as the hottest year ever recorded by scientists, owing to global warming. As per the report, over the last few decades, data showing temperatures increasing compared to the 20th-century average has become common.
Data collected by Bloomberg from the NOAA also show that compared to the 20th-century average, the global average temperature has risen by 0.82 degrees Celsius. Since 1981, each decade has seen the rate of increase grow to roughly 0.18 degrees Celsius, which is evidence of warming ocean and surface temperatures throughout the globe.
Overall, 2020 and 2016 were approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius hotter than the average temperature witnessed during the 19th century, with 2019 following closely. Although 2021 is likely to be another one of the top 10 hottest years, the enormous La Niña pattern in the Pacific Ocean may bring cooler temperatures compared to previous years.
Minor changes in global temperature are and will continue to be the cause of drastic consequences as a result of weather events and patterns. Floods, wildfires, droughts, and hurricanes are some of the most common ones, and they’ve noticeably increased over the last few decades. As per Bloomberg, scientists are becoming more confident with each passing year of the direct relationship between rising global temperatures and catastrophic weather events.
Decades-old models by climate scientists have been relatively accurate in predicting how temperatures would rise by 2020. Many scientists say that carbon dioxide pollution is one of the primary causes for the rise, and even reducing emissions at the earliest may be ineffective in halting the increase in temperatures.