Mind-blowing February 2016 temperature anomaly, close to 2°C above true pre-industrial
NASA say February 2016 hottest month on record, jaw dropping 1.35°C above mid-20th century average as climate cooks:
Note this anomaly is over the 1950-1980 baseline, which is 0.3°C warmer that late around 1900 and around 0.6°C warmer than true pre-industrial around 1750. This is close to 2°C warmer the true pre-industrial temperature. As Professor Michael E Mann of “hockey stick” fame says on Twitter:
Yes, Feb 2016 saw 2C warmer-than-preindustrial "dangerous" warming: https://t.co/ydpf4axJlQ
— Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) March 13, 2016
“Feb GISTEMP +1.35C 1951- is ~2C relative to true pre-industrial baseline”
David Spratt commented: “This is seriously crazy. Before October 2015, the highest GISS monthly anomaly was 0.96°C (Jan ’07). The last five months: 1.06°C, 1.03°C, 1.10°C, 1.14°C, 1.35°C! And March is also running above 1.3°C. It seems that the UK Met Office predicting that 2016 will be hotter than record breaking 2015 is on track.”
» Graph at www.data.giss.nasa.gov
“Compared with the rival record giant El Nino of 1997-98, global temperatures are running about 0.5 degrees hotter.
That shows how much much global warming we have had since then. The first half of March 2016 is at least as warm, and it means temperatures are clearly more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.”
Stefan Rahmstorf, professor at Potsdam Climate Institute & UNSW
“This is really quite stunning … it’s completely unprecedented,” said Stefan Rahmstorf, from Germany’s Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research and a visiting professorial fellow at the University of NSW, noting the NASA data as reported by the Wunderground blog.
“We are in a kind of climate emergency now,” Professor Rahmstorf said, noting that global carbon dioxide levels last year rose by a record rate of more than 3 parts per million.
Something to write in the diary: 2016 is the first year that global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C over the preindustrial level.
Source:
» The Age – 13 March 2016:
Scientist says February temperature spike sign of “climate emergency”
Related articles:
» Climate Code Red – 14 March 2016:
Mind-blowing February 2016 temperature spike a “climate emergency” says scientist, as extreme events hit Vietnam, Fiji and Zimbabwe
» The Guardian – 14 March 2016:
February breaks global temperature records by ‘shocking’ amount
» Wunderground – 13 March 2016:
February Smashes Earth’s All-Time Global Heat Record by a Jaw-Dropping Margin
Changing climate in northern Victoria
Changes in the climate are already happening in northern Victoria and southern NSW. Recent research from the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) says the region is already experiencing a ‘new climate’, one that has become noticeable since about 2000. This is most noticeable in the shift of rainfall patterns. Meanwhile research carried out for the state government documents – yet again – the expected increases in average temperature, extended heatwaves and ongoing water stress that is coming with climate change.
» Source: www.aegic.org.au
» Friends of the Earth Melbourne: Climate change impacts on Northern Victoria
$10m drought fund – but more needed
Farmers across 11 western Victorian shires have been given access to risk management grants of up to $10,000 and a second round of $2000 stock containment grants under the State Government’s $10 million Drought Support Fund.
“It’s valuable support at a time when drought conditions are looking grim, right across the state,” Victorian Farmers Federation President Peter Tuohey said. “This funding will help our farmers deal with the impacts of drought and the ongoing dry that’s undermining the carrying capacity of many farms as they face repeated seasons of low rainfall and stock water shortages.”
The $10m Drought Support Fund includes $1.5m for Farm Risk Management Grants, with farmers able to claim $3000 to do a business plan and up to another $7000 for training or to build on-farm infrastructure to help manage climatic risks.
Rough start to the year
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition wrote:
“On 3 March 2016, for the first time in human history, we passed a scary milestone for extreme heat. In the Northern Hemisphere temperatures briefly breached the two degree warming limit scientists have long warned of.
A warning sign that makes the shift to 100% clean energy and keeping fossil fuels in the ground so necessary.
Then we heard that abnormally warm waters on the Great Barrier Reef are causing huge coral bleaching at several locations, very likely to only get worse, increasing to the highest warning level and possibly killing off coral in many areas.
For too long Australia has mined and burned the polluting fuels at the heart of this problem. Prime Minister Turnbull can do better.
It’s time for Prime Minister Turnbull and his government to turn this around. Call Turnbull today and tell him that you want a commitment to 100% renewable energy and keeping coal in the ground this election year. ”
