Climate change leads to strong episodes of drought, as here in the Doubs.

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SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

In terms of climate change, records follow and resemble each other in 2020. Latest example: November 2020 was the hottest November ever recorded in the world, according to the European service Copernicus.

The twelve-month period from December 2019 to November 2020 is 1.28 ° C above pre-industrial temperatures, Copernicus explains in its monthly climate report released on Monday.

While the years 2015 to 2020 are the six hottest on record, that number puts the planet dangerously close to the first ceiling of the Paris Agreement, which turns five this week.

A very small difference with the year 2016

The pact, concluded in 2015 by nearly 200 States which have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, aims to contain global warming to well below + 2 ° C, if possible at +1.5 ° C, to limit the devastating impacts of storms, droughts and other heat waves already at work.

But the planet has gained an average of 0.2 ° C per decade since the late 1970s, insists Copernicus.

Warming is already around 1.2 ° C and 2020 is unlikely to reverse the trend.

The World Weather Organization (WMO) announced on Wednesday that 2020 would be on the podium of the hottest years.

Provisional data places it second behind 2016 for the moment, but the gap is small, the ranking could change.

Adding the new data for November, "2020 is now even closer to the 2016 record," Copernicus said on Monday, estimating that it could finish on the first step, tied or even alone, unless there is a change of trend always possible.

Fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement

In November, globally, the temperature significantly exceeded (by 0.13 ° C) the previous record held tied by November 2016 and November 2019, to stand at + 0.77 ° C above temperature average for the period 1981-2010.

"These records are in line with the long-term trend of global warming," commented Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus European service on climate change, calling on leaders to "see these records as alarm bells and look for the best ways to respect the commitments of the Paris Agreement ”.

Climate advocates also hope that the summit organized on Saturday by the UN and the United Kingdom for the 5th anniversary of Paris will be an opportunity to relaunch the ambitions of the fight against global warming.

Heatwave in Australia, autumn too mild in Europe

Temperatures were particularly high this November in Siberia, the Arctic Ocean, part of northern Europe and the United States, Latin America, western Antarctica.

And the Arctic sea ice was at its second lowest level.

A situation "worrying and which underlines the importance of a global surveillance of the Arctic, which is heating up faster than the rest of the world", underlined Carlo Buontempo.

While the austral summer has barely started, Australia has already experienced a first heat wave, with 48 ° C recorded in Andamooka in South Australia, and new fires ravaging the forests of Fraser Island, an island on the coast. is classified as world heritage.

And Europe had its mildest autumn on record, averaging 1.9 ° C above the base period, and 0.4 ° C above the previous autumn 2006 record.

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