Last month was the second warmest October on record RECORD: Global average temperature was 15.32°C – and scientists say 2024 will ‘almost certainly’ be the warmest on record

If you thought the weather was unusually mild last month, you’re probably not alone.

Scientists have warned that the world is on track to break a huge climate record after the second hottest October on record.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average global temperature last month was 15.32°C.

This makes October 2024 only 0.05°C cooler than October 2023, the hottest October on record.

Furthermore, last month’s figure is 1.32 °C (2.38 °F) above the 20th century average of 14.0 °C (57.2 °F).

Worryingly, experts point to man-made greenhouse gas emissions as the cause of this latest temperature anomaly.

The Met Office has already revealed that Britain experienced ‘above average’ temperatures last month – although this new data is an average for the whole world.

NOAA also warns that 2024 will “almost certainly” be Earth’s warmest year on record, breaking 2023’s record.

The US government agency relies on temperature sensors placed around the world, such as on floating buoys and satellites.

NOAA’s findings confirm those recently revealed by Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the EU’s weather and climate program.

While C3S estimated the global average to be slightly lower than NOAA – 59.45°F (15.25°C) – it also said 2024 would be the warmest year on record.

In a statement, NOAA revealed that 12 percent of the Earth’s surface had a record high October temperature last month.

“Earth experienced another unusually warm month, with October 2024 becoming the second-warmest October in NOAA’s 175-year global climate record,” the report said.

‘October temperatures were above average over much of the global land area, with the exception of Greenland, Central and Southern Africa, parts of Central Asia and much of East Antarctica.

‘North America had its warmest October on record, while South America and Oceania had the second warmest.’

So far this year – from January to October 2024 – Earth’s surface temperature is 1.28°C above the 20th century average, making this the hottest period on record.

In the US, “persistent” heat and dry conditions led to a rapid expansion of the drought last month, NOAA added, especially in the Mid-Atlantic.

Weather stations in New Jersey, Virginia and Delaware set records for the number of consecutive days without measurable precipitation from late September to early November.

NOAA also revealed that last month it set a worrying October record for how much sea ice (frozen seawater) covers the world.

A lack of sea ice is linked to global warming and could threaten the habitats of penguins, seals and other Antarctic wildlife.

Less sea ice also contributes to a rise in global sea levels, increasing concern for coastal cities at risk of flooding.

The extent of global sea ice in October was the smallest in the 46-year record – 1.25 million square kilometers below the average for the period 1991 to 2020.

In the Arctic in particular, sea ice extent was below average (600,000 square kilometers), ranking fourth lowest on record

Meanwhile, the extent of Antarctic sea ice was also 650,000 square kilometers below average, which ranks second as the lowest on record.

NOAA also links higher temperatures to catastrophic weather events around the world, including Hurricane Milton that killed 35 people in the US and Mexico.

As the air continues to warm due to climate change, hurricanes can trap more water vapor, causing more intense rainfall when a storm occurs and ultimately causing more damage.

The Atlantic Basin experienced five tropical cyclones in October, including Hurricane Milton, which peaked as a Category 5 storm and made landfall just south of Tampa Bay.

Through the end of October, there have been 70 named storms worldwide so far in 2024, a total of six storms fewer than the long-term average.

Overall, NOAA and CS3 now agree that 2024 will be hotter than the record-breaking 2023, which included the hottest summer in 2,000 years.

Worryingly, C3S now predicts that by 2024 it will almost certainly also be 1.55°C above the pre-industrial average.

This is worrying because in 2016, 28 countries signed the Paris Agreement, committing to keeping global temperature rise below 1.5°C.

The famous pact was intended to mitigate the worst effects of man-made climate change and prevent irreparable damage to the environment.

In previous years, individual months have exceeded the Paris Agreement limit.

However, 2024 would be the first year in which the year-round global average surface temperature is more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average.

Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said the time for world leaders to dither and delay is long gone.

“Our ailing planet gives us every signal that it is in crisis – the most recent being the deadly floods in Spain that have claimed the lives of so many and caused colossal damage,” he said.

“We need world leaders to break the emergency glass now and do everything in their power to prevent further damage.”