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Insight and Environment

Is climate change accelerating after a record year of heat?

The record-breaking heat of 2023 has seen a rare disagreement break out between climate scientists, with some saying it shows Earth may have entered a new period of warming

By Madeleine Cuff

2 May 2024

The Sau water reservoir in Spain, during a drought in April last year

Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

For almost a year now, the planet has been in uncharted territory. Since June 2023, every consecutive month has been the hottest on record. Antarctic sea ice has been tracking at near-record lows for months. Sea surface temperatures have stayed at record highs since this time last year. And in the midst of this, the world has been gripped by floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms.

With each consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures, concerns are growing…

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