January 2024 was the warmest January on record globally, with an average ERA5 surface air temperature of 13.14°C, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
This is 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average and 0.12°C above the temperature of the previous warmest January in 2020.
This is the eighth month in a row that is the warmest on record for the respective month of the year.
The global temperature for January 2024 was lower than those of the last six months of 2023, but higher than any before July 2023.
The global mean temperature for the last year, from February 2023 to January 2024 is the highest on record, at 0.64°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.52°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.
Copernicus
Deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Samantha Burgess said:
“2024 starts with another record-breaking month – not only is it the warmest January on record but we have also just experienced a 12-month period of more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial reference period.
“Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop global temperatures increasing.”
Drier than average conditions were seen in Ireland and southern UK, along with south-eastern and northern Spain and the Maghreb, eastern Iceland, most of Scandinavia, part of north-western Russia, and the eastern Balkans.
It was wetter than average in large parts of Europe, with storms impacting north- and south-western Europe.
Outside the EU
Outside Europe, temperatures were well above average over eastern Canada, north-western Africa, the Middle East and central Asia, and below average over western Canada, the central US and most of eastern Siberia.
It was wetter than average in the western and southern US, a large region of Eurasia, south-eastern South America, southeast Africa and northern and eastern Australia.
Drier than average conditions were seen across parts of western and southern North America, Canada, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, south central Asia. Australia, and Chile saw the dry conditions contribute to wildfires.