Earth has its warmest March on record, beating 2023's milestone

March marked the 10th consecutive month globally to set a record for its respective warmest month.

Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced this milestone, confirming a recent preliminary finding.

This development is significant as Copernicus is one of the most closely watched and respected sources of temperature data, often reporting before U.S. climate agencies like NOAA and NASA.

March's record warmth is part of a concerning trend. 2023 was the warmest year on record, and global conditions, including record warm oceans, are alarming scientists. Unusually warm waters in the tropical Atlantic have already led to an extremely bullish forecast for the upcoming hurricane season.

Last month was 0.73°C (1.3°F) above the 1991-2020 average for March and 1.68°C (3.0°F) above estimated preindustrial levels (calculated for the period from 1850-1900), according to Copernicus.

In addition, March saw two other significant records set: the hottest 12-month period and the milestone for the hottest global average sea surface temperatures, as reported by Copernicus.

Many regions worldwide experienced unusually warm temperatures in March, including large parts of Europe, eastern North America, Greenland, parts of South America, Africa, southern Australia, and Antarctica.

April has also begun with record heat in multiple locations globally, particularly across Europe, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa.