2023 was one hot year, but definitely not in a good way.
According to a Tuesday report from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2023 had the hottest temperatures since 1850.
“It was record-breaking for seven months. We had the warmest June, July, August, September, October, November, December,” Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess said. “It wasn’t just a season or a month that was exceptional. It was exceptional for over half the year.”
“2023 was an exceptional year with climate records tumbling like dominoes,” Burgess said in a statement. “Not only is 2023 the warmest year on record, it is also the first year with all days over 1 degree Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period. Temperatures during 2023 likely exceed those of any period in at least the last 100,000 years.”