GLOBAL CLIMATE CONDITIONS IN 2022

Abstract

The global average temperature in 2022 was 1.15°C higher than in the pre-industrial era and among the six highest on record, despite the presence of la Niña, which persisted in 2022. The relatively cold weather with abundant rainfall over eastern Australia is a feature normally associated with la Niña events. The eight warmest years on record globally occurred in the 2015–2022 period. There were no record high monthly temperatures globally, but June, July and August 2022 were ranked among the three warmest. Levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides were the highest on record. Ocean energy accumulations have reached record levels. Average sea levels were also at record highs. Glaciers melted faster than usual. During the summer, extreme heat waves hit parts of China and Europe, claiming thousands of lives. In East Africa, rainfall was below average for the fifth rainy season in a row, which is the longest such period in the last four decades. Record rainfall in July and August caused widespread flooding in Pakistan. The size of the ozone hole over Antarctica was similar to the previous two years. The Arctic sea-ice extent was below the long-term average for most of the year.