We Know 2022 Was Hot. Here’s What We Don’t Know About Global Warming
Upcoming global average temperature measurements are unlikely to yield surprises. The real question is how we adapt, says one scientist.
Wildfires are becoming more common as the climate changes.
Photographer: Benjamin Fanjoy/BloombergIt’s that time of year again, when climate scientists report that the 12 months that just passed are among the hottest in recorded history. If anything is surprising, it’s that annual rankings draw so much attention at all.
Sight unseen, the results are somewhat predictable — and not just because the World Meteorological Organization previewed theirs in November. It estimated that 2022 would finish as the fifth or sixth hottest year since the mid-19th century. Several research groups are expected to release numbers soon, and they’re likely to tell a similar story.