March 2024 has been recorded as the hottest March globally, making it the 10th consecutive month to break temperature records, reports from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service indicate. The month saw temperatures 1.68°C above pre-industrial levels, raising the 12-month global average to 1.58°C above those levels, exceeding the critical 1.5°C threshold aimed at limiting global warming’s severe impacts.

This trend of record-breaking temperatures corresponds with an increase in global sea surface temperatures, which reached new highs in March, averaging 21.07°C outside the polar regions. The global average temperature for March was reported at 14.14°C (57.9°F), signaling a continual rise and marking a trend that is “heading in the wrong direction,” according to Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus.

Particularly affected areas include Europe, with temperatures rising to 2.12°C above the 1991-2020 average, marking it as the continent’s second warmest March on record. Other regions experiencing significant temperature increases include North America, Greenland, Russia, Central America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

Scientists attribute the majority of the temperature increase to human-induced climate change, driven by carbon pollution from fossil fuels. The recent figures highlight the urgent need for global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to sustainable practices to mitigate the climate crisis.