Scientists at the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently ranked this past November as one of the warmest in almost two centuries, according to a NOAA press release.
Additionally, the NOAA scientists confirmed that the Northern Hemisphere experienced its warmest autumn land temperatures on record.
“The world sweltered through a November that ranked as the fourth-warmest November in 142 years of climate records,” the NOAA press release states.
November 2021 recorded a 1.64 degree Fahrenheit rise in average global land and ocean surface temperatures over the previous century's average of 55.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Additionally, the Northern Hemisphere experienced its second-warmest November on record, while the Southern Hemisphere experienced its 10th warmest on record, matching temperatures recorded in 2014.
The season was also warmer than usual for several continents, with Africa recording its hottest November on record and South America and Asia both experiencing one of the top-10 warmest Novembers on record. Oceania however, recorded its coldest November on record since 1999.
Other significant climate events noted in the report include the discovery that Arctic sea ice cover in November 2021 was 359,000 square miles lower than the 1981–2010 average, making it the ninth-smallest November in the 43-year record, tied with records set in 2009 and 2011.
