In 2021, Earth experienced slightly cooler temperatures compared to the previous two years, ranking sixth on the list of warmest years on record dating back to 1880. Despite being cooler, the average land and ocean surface temperature was still 1.51 degrees F above the 20th-century average, marking the 45th consecutive year with global temperatures above average. The Northern Hemisphere also saw high temperatures, with the land areas ranking as the third warmest on record. Ocean heat content was at a record high in 2021, contributing to sea-level rise.
Different scientific organizations, including NASA and Europe’s Copernicus, ranked 2021 as one of the warmest years on record, with NASA ranking it tied for sixth place with 2018, and Copernicus ranking it as the fifth warmest year.
Additional findings by NOAA included polar sea ice cover being below average in both the Arctic and Antarctic, and an above-average number of tropical cyclones worldwide, although the number of hurricane-strength cyclones was the lowest on record. In December 2021, global temperatures were above average, with South America experiencing its third-warmest December on record, while North America and Europe had their coolest December since 2016.
Overall, 2021 was a warm year globally, continuing the trend of rising temperatures seen in recent years.
Photo credit
www.noaa.gov
