September 2024 was the second-warmest September for the globe and for Europe, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) of the European Union, as per a statement released on October 8, 2024.

The warmest September globally has been September 2023. September 2024 recorded an average ERA5 surface air temperature of 16.17°C, 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average for September, the statement added.

“September 2024 was 1.54°C above the pre-industrial level and was the 14th month in a 15-month period for which the global-average surface air temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels,” the C3S noted.

The average temperature over Europe for September 2024 was 1.74°C above the 1991-2020 average for September. The month thus is the second warmest September on record for the continent after September 2023, which was 2.51°C above average.

Eastern and northeastern parts of the continent recorded above average temperatures. However, a large part of western Europe, including France, most of the Iberian Peninsula, and Iceland recorded below average temperatures.

“Outside Europe, temperatures were most above average over Canada, the central and western United States, South America, northeast Africa, China, and Japan,” according to the C3S statement.

It added that temperatures were below average over the Sahel, southern Africa, along the eastern United States, in parts of central Asia, and across west Antarctica.

The average sea surface temperature (SST) for September 2024 over 60°S–60°N was 20.83°C, the second-highest value on record for the month, and only 0.09°C below September 2023.

“The equatorial and central Pacific had below-average temperatures, indicating a developing La Niña; however, SSTs across the ocean remained unusually high over many regions,” the statement noted.

Meanwhile, daily Arctic sea ice extent reached its 6th lowest annual minimum while the monthly sea ice extent ranked 5th lowest in the satellite record, at 19 per cent below average.

According to C3S, sea ice concentration anomalies were well below average in all peripheral seas of the Arctic Ocean.

Down at the South Pole, Antarctic sea ice reached its annual maximum extent but remained at near-record levels for the time of year, with a monthly value 7% below average, the second-lowest extent for September, behind September 2023. 

September 2024 saw much of Europe experiencing above-average precipitation. While Storm Boris led to heavy rainfall, floods and associated damage over Central and Eastern Europe, it was drier than average over Ireland, northern UK, and over a large region of easternmost Europe and over the western and southern Iberian Peninsula, where severe wildfires were observed.

The month was mostly wetter than average over several regions of North America, with the southeast hit by Hurricane Helene.

“Wetter-than-average conditions were also experienced over northern Africa, north-eastern Russia, eastern China, north-western Australia, southernmost Africa, and southernmost Brazil. Taiwan and the Philippines were hit by Typhoon Krathon and Pakistan was severely affected by the monsoon,” the statement noted.

Meanwhile, drier-than-average conditions were seen in parts of North America, western and easternmost Russia and north-eastern China, eastern Australia, most of southern Africa and South America. Wildfire activity was observed in several regions, including Russia and South America.

“September 2024 was the second warmest both globally and for Europe. The extreme rainfall events of this month, something we are observing more and more often, have been made worse by a warmer atmosphere, leading to more intense rainfall with months’ worth of rain falling in just a few days. The risk of extreme rainfall will continue to increase with rising temperatures; the sooner we reach NetZero emissions, the sooner we can mitigate this risk,” Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the C3S was quoted as saying in the statement.

Simply Put: 12 months in a row