Nice of the “climate scientists” to make this prognostication almost 5 months into the year, especially as an El Nino forms
World could face record temperatures in 2023 as El Nino returns
The world could breach a new average temperature record in 2023 or 2024, fuelled by climate change and the anticipated return of the El Nino weather phenomenon, climate scientists say.
Climate models suggest that after three years of the La Nina weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean, which generally lowers global temperatures slightly, the world will experience a return to El Nino, the warmer counterpart, later this year.
During El Nino, winds blowing west along the equator slow down, and warm water is pushed east, creating warmer surface ocean temperatures.
“El Nino is normally associated with record breaking temperatures at the global level. Whether this will happen in 2023 or 2024 is not yet known, but it is, I think, more likely than not,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Climate models suggest a return to El Nino conditions in the late boreal summer, and the possibility of a strong El Nino developing towards the end of the year, Buontempo said.
OK, so, it’s something entirely natural that happens on and off. No need to drag witchcraft, er, anthropogenic climate change into the mix. But, they will
Friederike Otto, senior lecturer at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute, said El Nino-fuelled temperatures could worsen the climate change impacts countries are already experiencing – including severe heatwaves, drought and wildfires.
“If El Niño does develop, there is a good chance 2023 will be even hotter than 2016 – considering the world has continued to warm as humans continue to burn fossil fuels,” Otto said.
So, what happens if this doesn’t happen? Notice in the excerpt and other parts of the article that they are all using weasel words: could, could, could, suggest, suggest, good chance. This gives them an out so they aren’t actually making a prediction that can be held against them if it fails.
