Temperature records continue to be broken one after the other this year: o October was the hottest ever recorded on planet Earth, marking the fifth straight month continuing the trend of breaking record highs set in June, according to data released today by the European Copernicus Observatorywarning that 2023 is now “virtually certain” to prove to be the warmest year on record, surpassing the previous annual record of 2016.

The new readings, which translate into droughts, famines, devastating fires and intensified hurricanes, confirm scientists’ warnings ahead of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates ( November 30th-December 12th).

“We can say with almost absolute certainty that 2023 will be the warmest year on record” and “the sense of urgency to take ambitious climate action as COP28 approaches has never been stronger,” said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), according to the press release released.

Last month, with the average temperature reaching 15.38°C at the surface of the Earth, it beat the previous monthly record (October 2019) by 0.4°C, according to the Copernicus service. The anomaly is “stunning” and the second highest recorded to date, behind only that of September this year.

The average October temperature was “1.7°C warmer than any October in the period 1850-1900”, i.e. the pre-industrial reference period, before the man-made greenhouse effect began, the observatory adds.

Since January, the average temperature is the highest ever recorded for the first ten months of any year, and 1.43°C higher than those for the period 1850-1900.

More than ever, 2023 is approaching the landmark limit (+1.5°C) of the Paris Agreement. COP28 is expected to take stock of its implementation effort and – if possible – to take the first corrective measures.

The World Meteorological Organization estimated in the spring that this limit would be exceeded for twelve consecutive months for the first time in the next five years.

However, the increase in temperature must be recorded for years in order to conclude that the climate change threshold has been exceeded. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (GIEC) considers the probability of this happening in the years between 2030 and 2035 to be around 50%, given the rate of emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly due to combustion fossil fuels.