Weather Insider: State of the Climate in 2023

The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) released its annual State of the Climate report for 2023 just last week. Nearly 600 scientists from almost 60 countries came together to analyze the data and produce this report. They found a number of alarming figures, including the fact that all three major greenhouse gases reached record-high levels last year. This is problematic as greenhouse gases help to trap more heat and gradually warm the planet.

They also found that 2023 was the warmest year on record. This was corroborated by four independent sources. El Nino also played a role in last year's record-breaking heat as El Nino conditions tend to lead to warmer temperatures across the globe. The report also highlighted the fact that the last nine years have been the warmest nine years on record!

Some of the most alarming findings were in relation to the levels of ice near the poles. The report found that there were large losses of ice in the Arctic and Antarctic. Compared the the 1990s, the rate of ice melting in the Arctic has tripled! And, down in the Antarctic, we have lost roughly 100 gigatonnes of ice in just the last 20 years!