Earth just had its hottest 12 months ever recorded, analysis finds

Researchers found that global average temperatures from November 2022 through October 2023 were 2.4 degrees F above preindustrial levels.

The past 12 months have been the hottest ever recorded, according to an analysis released Thursday from the nonprofit organization Climate Central.

The researchers analyzed global average temperatures from November 2022 through October and found they were about 1.32 degrees Celsius — or 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit — above preindustrial averages.

In the past 12 months, 90% of the world’s population experienced at least 10 days with high temperatures that would have been unlikely without the influence of climate change, the analysis found. One in 4 people experienced five-day heat waves made at least twice as likely by climate change.

“This is the hottest temperature our planet has experienced in something like 125,000 years,” Andrew Pershing, the organization’s vice president for science, said at a news conference.

The researchers say climate change from the burning of fossil fuels is the primary driver of the increase in temperature. El Niño, a natural climate pattern that releases ocean heat into the atmosphere, is also beginning to boost temperatures.