This February is on course to become the hottest ever as scientists warn the planet is heating up at an ‘accelerating’ rate.
Data from the the Climate Change Institute at the America’s University of Maine shows the first eight days of the month have already broken records, and if the rising temperatures continue it will be the warmest February in history.
It comes as countries all around the world have seen unusually high temperatures for this time of year.
South Africa, where it is the summer at this time of year, is sweltering in a heatwave with temperatures hitting over 30C.
A heatwave advisory has been issued in the country, warning residents of extremely hot and uncomfortable conditions are expected to persist from Thursday through the weekend.
Temperatures are anticipated to reach peak levels and reports say it is expected to cause health risks to vulnerable individuals.
CHILE: Forest fires have been raging all around the world in the unusually hot February
CHILE: Forest fires have been raging this month as locals in the Quilpe comune, Valparaiso region do their best to clear the damage
In Victoria, , where it is also the summer, soaring temperatures have resulted in bush fires.
Emergency warnings have been issued over fires burning in and near the Grampians national park, with some communities told to take shelter.
Earlier in the week when the bush fire warnings came out, residents in danger zones were told by officials that they need to act immediately to survive.
Some were told it was too late to leave and to instead take shelter from the raging fires.
Meanwhile, the UK is experiencing extremely high temperatures for this time of year. It has been the hottest first eight days on record.
A high of 18C isn’t too far off the hottest February day of all time which was 20.6C in 2019.
It isn’t just the air that’s heating up – the sea is also breaking records, being nearly one degree hotter than the 1982-2011 average.
Weather expert Dr Joel Hirschi, who is associate head of marine systems modelling at the UK National Oceanography Centre, said the rate of heating is ‘accelerating’.
He said: ‘The planet is warming at an accelerating rate.
MOROCCO: Farmers in countries all around the world are experiencing huge periods of drought. Morocco has seen 12 weather stations reach over 33.9c, five degrees hotter than the July average – in February.
: Emergency warnings have been issued over fires burning in and near the Grampians national park, with some communities told to take shelter. The temperature reached 35c
‘We are seeing rapid temperature increases in the ocean, the climate’s largest reservoir of heat.’
‘The amplitude by which previous sea surface temperatures records were beaten in 2023 and now 2024 exceed expectations, though understanding why this is, is the subject of ongoing research.’
According to earth scientist Zeke Hausfather, every month has been the hottest on record since last May.
The effects are being felt all around the world.
Maximiliano Herrera, a weather blogger, said that recently meteorological station heat records have been ‘insane’.
The Guardian reports that in the past week, monitoring stations in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Japan, North Korea, the Maldives and Belize have registered monthly heat records.
Herrera said that Morocco has seen 12 weather stations reach over 33.9c, five degrees hotter than the July average – in February.
The stark warning comes only a few days after the temperature in Britain hit 18C.
The ‘exceptionally mild’ winter weather saw sun-lovers head to the parks to take in the heat and enjoy an ice cream or two.
It was also the hottest Valentine’s night on record, with an overnight temperature of 11.5c
With the warnings in place and February looking to follow the record-breaking pattern of the last nine months, scientists are now saying it isn’t only global warming they are worried about – but also the unpredictability of a natural weather system.
BRITAIN: People have been going out in caps and sunglasses in the hot, record-breaking February
: A wildfire in Victoria, this month came as temperatures soared to 35c
An El Nino is a phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean where changes in pressure cause warm water to flow East, bringing with it atmospherically heat. It happens naturally every few years or so.
An El Nina is the opposite of an El Nino and has a global cooling effect. An El Nina often follows an El Nino.
The planet is in the midst of an El Nino now, which is thought to have been exaggerating the temperature increases felt around the world.
The hope is that an El Nina will soon come, bringing with it some cooling relief.
MADAGASCAR: The Indian Ocean island nation of Madagascar, the first to face food shortages linked to climate change, has experienced poor rains in recent months
CALIFORNIA: Drought has caused water levels in reservoirs such as this one to fall rapidly
FRANCE: Here, hotter temperatures are said to be causing a stinging insect, the Pine processionary caterpillar, which is harmful to the health of both humans and animals, to now infest almost all of mainland France.
However, according to Hausfather, the behavior of the climate has become more erratic and harder to forecast.
As reported in the Guardian, he said: ‘(Last year) defied expectations so much that it’s hard to have as much confidence in the approaches we have used to make these predictions in the past.’
The scientist said he predicts February will become the hottest on record.