A hot and tense day in the western suburbs of Sydney has been held as one of the “unusual” evidence points that could lead to 2020 being declared one of the hottest three years in history.
The almost 49C day when Penrith, west of Sydney, erupted on January 4 this year became the highest temperature ever recorded in Australia’s large city.
What Have Climate Agencies Said?
The United Nations agency has chosen it as one of the highlights – or low-key lights – of 2020 hot summers.
An Australian meteorologist said a hot day on the outskirts of the city was “a step beyond” even on the outskirts of Sydney’s hottest city.
The past month has also recently been officially recognized as the hottest November in world history.
The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has declared November 2020 the hottest month since its record began in 1979.
Of particular concern to meteorologists is the tropical climate of La Nina when it has to cool down.
Copernicus Service Director Carlo Buontempo said the change was not surprising, but it did affect it anyway.
“Globally, November was the warmest month of the November, and the temperatures in the Arctic and northern Siberia remained constant, with sea ice at the lowest level.
“This trend touches on and highlights the importance of a thorough Arctic monitoring, as it warms up faster than the rest of the world.”
The service said temperatures in the earth’s surface were the highest in the moon by “clear limits”. Mercury was 0.8C higher than normal November and 0.1C higher than previous November and 2019 warmer November. In Europe it has been worse, at 1.9C above average.
Other Locations
Northern Europe, Siberia and the Arctic were areas where temperatures were relatively low with the USA, Latin America and Australia among which mercury was “very high”.
In contrast, Antarctica in western and central Asia observed temperatures below zero. As the Arctic sea ice decreases, the size of the Antarctic ice sheet intensifies.
Penrith In 2020 Global Heat Charts
The Copernicus Service said all indications are that 2020 will be one of the warmest years in history. That is in line with the vision of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which is part of the UN, which last week said it expected 2020 to be one of the hottest three years since its records began. Its details date back to 1850.
“Unfortunately, 2020 has been another unusual year for our climate,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas.
“The global temperature by 2020 should be around 1.2C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900).” he said
It would see 2020 trailing only 2016 and 2019 in the hottest year’s stakes.
Penrith, 60 miles west of the Sydney CBD, was named by the WMO as one of the hottest pilots this year.
“Australia broke record temperatures in early 2020, including the most observed temperatures in the Australian city, west of Sydney, when Penrith reached 48.9 ° C on January 4,” the report said.
Lying in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney is often the hot spot of the city as it misses the cool ocean air. Sometimes it would be 10C warmer in Penrith than the Sydney CBD. It can also be very cool in winter.
Dr Ailie Gallant of Monash University’s Climate Change Communication Research Hub told news.com.au The heat wave west of Sydney occurred as New South Wales was in the middle of a massive and deadly fire that turned the sky red and saw ash ash fall.
“It is not uncommon for it to be very hot in Penrith, but what we are facing now has never happened. It is a step forward ”.
He said while the EU data was only going back in thirty years, the fact that other organizations were examining records back 170 years and finding the same result was worrying.
“Five independent sources indicate that November will be at least one of the hottest three in history. Whether you are the first one or not, it does not matter – it should be cool and it doesn’t matter ”
The Bureau of Metrology has already confirmed that last month was the hottest November in Australia since its records began.
The national temperature in November was that of Australia as the whole was 2.47 ° C warmer than average, breaking the previous record in 2014 when temperatures were 2.07C above baseline.
Weather forecasters hope that the arrival of the rainy season in Northern Australia and La Nina will help summers rain in most parts of Australia and cold in many areas.
