How does 2021 rank in warmest years despite La Nina?

Question

Accepted Answer

2021 Ranked Among Warmest Years Despite La Niña's Cooling Influence

Despite the presence of the La Niña phenomenon, which typically exerts a cooling effect on global temperatures, 2021 was still projected to rank among the five to seven warmest years on record. Preliminary data for the first nine months of the year indicated that the average global temperature was approximately 1.09 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels. This continued warming trend means that the period from 2015 to 2021 is on track to encompass the seven hottest years documented.
La Niña's Typical Impact and 2021's Anomaly

La Niña is a climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Generally, this phenomenon can lead to a temporary decrease in global average temperatures by influencing atmospheric circulation and weather patterns worldwide. However, the underlying and persistent influence of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is a more dominant force driving long-term warming. In 2021, the cooling effect of La Niña was apparently insufficient to counteract the overall warming trend driven by these emissions, leading to its high ranking among warm years.
Long-Term Warming Trend Continues

The years spanning 2015 to 2021 are consistently identified as being among the hottest on record. This seven-year period is expected to hold the record for the warmest years documented by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). This sustained high-temperature trend underscores the ongoing impact of global warming, which has seen the average temperature over the last two decades (2002-2021) exceed 1 degree Celsius above mid-19th century levels for the first time.
Overall Global Temperature Increase

The WMO's preliminary report highlights that the average temperature for 2021 was approximately 1.09 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This figure contributes to the broader pattern of rising global temperatures. The increase in average global temperature over the past two decades, exceeding the 1C threshold, signifies a critical point in the context of human-induced climate change, particularly since the onset of industrial fossil fuel burning.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

How does 2021 rank in warmest years despite La Nina?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends