🌡️ April 2024 marks eleventh consecutive month of record-breaking global temperatures

Last month was the warmest April on record, marking the eleventh consecutive month of record-breaking global temperatures, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). This also marks the thirteenth month in a row of record-breaking sea surface temperatures, with the world's oceans, including the Caribbean Sea, heating up to unprecedented levels. The average ERA5 surface air temperature was 0.67°C above the 1991-2020 average and 0.14°C above the previous high set in April 2016. 🌍

C3S Director Carlo Buontempo warned that greenhouse gases were causing the temperature increase. While temperature variations associated with natural cycles like El Niño come and go, the extra energy trapped in the ocean and the atmosphere by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases continues to push the global temperature towards new records. This consistent trend of extreme temperatures has led scientists to investigate whether human activity has now triggered a tipping point in climate change. 🌡️

The Cayman Islands are also experiencing record-breaking heat. In April, the average temperature across the Cayman Islands was 1.6°C higher than the climatological average (1991-2020), mirroring the global increase. This was compounded by zero rainfall, leading to extremely dry conditions. The Cayman Islands National Weather Service predicts that May will continue to be hot, although there are expectations of some rainfall. 🏝️