RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – Raleigh tied two record highs between Oct. 28 and Nov. 9, continuing the precedent that 2023 has as the hottest year on record thus far in the Triangle. Whether that translates to the entire year is yet to be seen with a month and a half to go.
Meanwhile, we’re not the only ones dealing with record heat in the Triangle or across the U.S. According to the non-profit organization Climate Central, we have just gone through the hottest 12-month timeframe in recorded history. From November 2022 to October 2023, the average difference in temperature across the globe from pre-industrial times (before 1900) is up to 1.3° Celsius, or well over 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Where climate impacts are felt the most on a day-to-day basis, believe it or not, is not in the U.S. or much of North America. In fact, that’s mostly along the equator and tropical regions. Climate Central released a map showing the areas where human-caused climate change made hotter temperatures at least three times more likely. According to the non-profit, 90% of the world’s population (7.3 billion) experienced at least 10 days of temperatures very strongly affected by climate change, and 73% (5.8 billion) experienced more than a month’s worth.
Back here at home, 2023 continues to be the hottest year so far in the Triangle, and with last week’s heat, that statistic won’t be changing anytime soon.
