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Do you feel that it is getting warmer and warmer as compared to previous years? Well, now we have official confirmation about this!
Scientists have measured and confirmed that temperature of the Earth has smashed a century-long record!
On average, March 2016 was 1.07 degree celsius hotter as compared to any other March month in 100 years! This was confirmed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Data from JMA dates back as far as 1891 and it showed that every of the past 11 months had been the hottest ever recorded for that month!
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
While changes in climate has always been examined over the span of years and decades, even scientists had been shocked by the recent upswing in temperatures.
What could be causing the extreme rise in temperatures in recent months?
One major reason will be the effects from El Nino. This global weather phenomena causes temperatures to spike. The current El Nino is the biggest one ever seen since 1998. While the effects from El Nino might be waning, there is generally a delayed effect on the world's oceans. Thus we can expect to see high global temperatures over the next few months.
Another reason is the greenhouse gas emissions that causes global warming. This is most definitely a human caused effect. It is thus of utmost importance to reduce global warming. The UN climate summit in Paris in December 2015 had confirmed that and increase of 2 degree Celsius is a clear danger limit for global warning. The target is set to limit global warming to 1.5 degree celsius.
The increase in temperatures has taken its toll. Even the Arctic was not spared. Scientists had announced, at the end of March 2016, that the Arctic ice cap was the smallest ever recorded since Year 1979!
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
Let us all be more aware of our actions and work towards lesser global warming in our little ways.
