Monthly temperature extremes have become much more frequent, measurements from around the world indicate.
On average, there are now five times as many record-breaking hot months worldwide than could be expected without long-term global warming, shows a study now published in Climatic Change.
In parts of Europe, Africa and southern Asia the number of monthly records has increased even by a factor of ten. 80% of observed monthly records would not have occurred without human influence on climate, concludes the authors-team of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Complutense University of Madrid.
If global warming continues, the study projects that the number of new monthly records will be 12 times as high in 30 years as it would be without climate change.
Read more at Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research