🌡️ Cayman Islands experiences record-breaking heat in 2023

The Cayman Islands, along with numerous other countries globally, experienced its warmest year ever in 2023, as confirmed by the CI National Weather Service. Data collected at the Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman revealed an annual average land temperature of 84°F, surpassing the previous record of 83.5°F in 2020. The highest temperature recorded at the airport was a scorching 95.5°F on July 21, 2023. Each month of 2023 surpassed the 30-year average temperature, while rainfall levels were below the five-year average. However, changes in rainfall patterns were noted, with less than average rain in traditionally wet October and an unusually high rainfall in August. 🌡️

Despite the record-breaking heat, the 2023 hurricane season, which was the fourth most active ever recorded, did not bring any of the 20 storms, including seven hurricanes, within the warning areas of the Cayman Islands. The extreme temperatures of 2023 have highlighted the urgent need for decarbonization and climate risk management, according to Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Scientists are now focusing on 2024, with concerns that it could be even hotter. The frequent marine heatwaves of 2023, which affected much of the world's oceans, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, could have severe consequences in 2024, leading to more king tides and damaging impacts on reefs. 🌊