In February this year, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which serves as the UN weather agency, released a report indicating that both hemispheres experienced more extreme heat and unusually high temperatures. The report highlights that the month concluded with extreme heat in the southern hemisphere, where it is summer, while the northern hemisphere experienced high temperatures that are atypical for the winter season.
The WMO report summarises the state of the climate, highlighting that various regions across the globe experienced record-breaking temperatures in February. These regions include parts of North and South America, northwest and southeast Africa, southeast and far eastern Asia, western Australia, and Europe. Record-breaking temperatures were recorded either daily or for the entire month of February.
Alvaro Silva, a climatologist working with the WMO, notes that the anomalous heat is consistent with the persisting warming observed since June 2023. He explains that the world has now seen seven consecutive new global monthly temperature records, including January 2024. Additionally, global sea surface temperatures were recorded as being at an all-time high. Despite the El Niño weather pattern contributing to stoking temperatures in some parts of the world, Silva highlights that human-induced climate change is the long-term major contributing factor.
Conversely, a large part of northwestern Canada, central Asia, and from southern central Siberia to southeastern China experienced exceptional cold during the last week of February.
The meteorological winter in the northern hemisphere and summer in the southern hemisphere officially ended at the end of February.
In other news, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has raised concerns over the possibility of more refugees crossing into Chad from Darfur in the coming weeks. This concern arises due to a worrying lack of food and other essentials. Almost a year since the start of the civil war between rival militaries in Sudan, the UNHCR reports that neighboring Chad urgently needs more humanitarian aid and significant development investment. This need is especially in the country’s eastern areas, which are hosting the refugee influx.
According to the agency, increased investment would enable Chad to continue its generous open-door stance towards refugees. Kelly Clements, UNHCR’s Deputy High Commissioner, who is currently in the country to review the relief operation, reports that Chadian officials are concerned that many more hungry Sudanese families will come in the next few weeks. The country has committed to keeping its borders open, despite the fragility of the region. However, doing so will put even more strain on Chad, which has been graciously hosting refugees from Sudan’s war – which has been raging for almost a year – and other refugees still present from earlier emergencies.
