'Global temp exceeded 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels in 12-mth period'

Global temperatures set a new 12-month record, exceeding 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels from November 2022 to October this year, a new analysis of international climate data released by Climate Central said on Thursday.

- Jayashree Nandi

This is the hottest year-long period in recorded history according to the analysis with 170 countries recording mean temperatures that exceeded 30-year normals.

Around 7.8 billion people or 99% of humanity was exposed to above-average temperatures except Iceland and Lesotho which recorded cooler-than-normal temperatures, Climate Central, a non-profit science and news organisation said.

The analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI)-Climate Central's daily local temperature attribution system - indicates that human-caused climate change significantly raised temperatures over the past 12 months. CSI applies a peer reviewed methodology to attribute climate impacts. It is based on a study that was published in journal of Advances in Statistical Climatology, Meteorology and Oceanography last year. For example, CSI level 3 indicates that human-caused climate change made those temperatures at least three times more likely.

The analysis looks at daily average temperatures and heat waves and included data for 175 countries, 154 states, and 920 major cities.