Global temperatures cross one-degree warming threshold

The 1 °C threshold is an important marker, representing the midway point to the 2 °C limit that most agree the planet needs to stay within to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Based on data from January to September, the results show a global mean temperature at 1.02 °C above the 1850-1900 reference period.   

“This year marks an important first but that doesn’t necessarily mean that every year from now on will be a degree or more above pre-industrial levels, as natural variability will still play a role in determining the temperature in any given year,” said Peter Stott, head of Climate Monitoring and Attribution at the Met Office’s Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research.

Natural variability for 2015 has included the effects of El Nino, the sporadic Pacific weather system that generally has a warming effect on the Earth’s temperature. But according to the Met Office, similar events in the past have never been enough to push global temperatures across the 1 degree threshold.