JANUARY 30, 2020
The heat goes on.
The world will set a new temperature record within the next five years, scientists from the United Kingdom’s Met Office said Thursday.
“The latest five-year forecast suggests continued warming, consistent with sustained high levels of greenhouse gases,” said Doug Smith, a Met Office expert on decadal prediction, in a statement.
Up until now, the warmest year on record was 2016, which was followed closely by 2019, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Uncertainties exist within the forecast, but most regions are expected to be warmer and forecast patterns suggest enhanced warming over land, especially northern parts of Europe, Asia and North America – extending the ongoing trend,” Smith said.
Global warming and melting image – NASA
In addition the current relatively cool conditions in the north Atlantic are also predicted to warm, potentially exacerbating the warming over Europe, the Met Office reported.
Last year alone, record highs were registered in several countries, including across northern Europe during an unprecedented heatwave that scientists said was made more likely by climate change, Phys.org said.
“By initializing computer models with the current state of the climate, the Met Office has demonstrated increasing skill to predict fluctuations in the climate,” said Adam Scaife, the Met Office’s head of long-range prediction.
He added that only a large volcanic eruption, which would act to cool the global climate, could prevent a new heat record in the upcoming several years.
The planet has warmed by 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s, which represents the quickest shift in the climate since the last Ice Age ended some 10,000 years ago, according to Bloomberg News.
Courtesy/Source: This article originally appeared on USA TODAY
