May Is The Hottest Month, Says NOAA Report
The world was in its hottest temperature in May, and it was attributed to the El Niño event, which, according to climate scientists, might last throughout the year, Washington Post reported. Citing a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, the Post revealed that May was the hottest month on record, while other months in 2015 have ranked in one of the warmest months in the planet.
“The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for May 2015 was the highest for May in the 136-year period of record, at 0.87°C (1.57°F) above the 20th century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F), surpassing the previous record set just one year ago by 0.08°C (0.14°F),” NOAA report stated.
Oceans also felt the highest temperatures in May. "May global sea surface temperature was 0.72°C (1.30°F) above the 20th century average of 16.3°C (61.3°F), the highest for May on record, surpassing the previous record set last year by 0.07°C (0.13°F)," the report added.
The report also said it was unusually warmer in Alaska, parts of tropical South America, much of southern Africa and the Middle East, and parts of northwestern Siberia. The Climate Prediction Center projected that an El Niño phase is showing at the sea temperatures of the Pacific Ocean in 2014.
El Niño phase is associated with a warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific, causing changes in rainfall in several areas and warming of the seas. History shows this has adverse effects on the weathers of several nations. According to The Guardian, the El Niño phenomenon will also have some benefits such as causing wetter seasons in other parts of the globe.
India in May was struck with a devastating heat wave that killed a thousand of people in the span of one week. Think Progress reported that a temperature of 50°C caused extreme heatwave in several parts of India. The fatalities were mostly people who cannot afford an air-conditioning unit and whose works are done outside, like construction workers.
Although El Niño and La Niña is a natural phenomenon, the extreme of weathers has been blamed on global warming and human-induced carbon emissions. Climate scientist Kim Cobb and fellows from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US found that there is a connection between climate change and El Niño. “El Niño may get stronger as the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere climbs,” Cobb was quoted as saying in the previous research.
The global climate change conference in Paris at the end of the year will be key in mitigating the effects of the phenomenon, as both developed and developing nations are expected to come up with emission targets that are legal and binding. A better global climate future, according to several environmentalists, scientists and policymakers, is possible through a united commitment to cut down greenhouse gas emissions, which could be done through a shift in clean energy economies.
The United States is prioritising clean energy commitments as it has just unveiled $4 billion private sector commitments for clean energy that can be tapped by start-up companies. The good news was announced last week, giving new companies access to investments in contributing to a safer climate future.
One company that can benefit and at the same time help transform the planet to a cleaner environment is White Mountain Titanium Corporation (OTCQB:WMTM), a newcomer in titanium dioxide exploration. Its projected production volume of 80,000 tonnes a year could help nations get closer to a future of clean energy, as titanium dioxide is a newly discovered component of solar panels due to its photocatalytic properties.
To contact the writer, email: vittoriohernandez@yahoo.com
