March 2024 is the tenth month in a row to be the hottest for the respective month in the ERA5 data record, going back to 1940. The findings are included in the latest Climate Bulletin of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The global oceans have seen 12 consecutive months of record high surface temperatures.

The global surface air temperature for March was 14.14°C, 0.73°C above the 1991-2020 average for March, and 0.10°C above the previous high set in March 2016. The March anomaly was slightly smaller than the 0.81°C anomaly recorded for the previous month, and during the first days of April the anomalies were decreasing, as shown by the C3S Climate Pulse application.

The global average temperature in the last twelve months (April 2023 – March 2024) is the highest on record at 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average.

In a press release, C3S Deputy Director Samantha Burgess highlighted the importance of these continued series of record-high temperatures both in the atmosphere and the surface ocean.

“March 2024 continues the sequence of climate records toppling for both air temperature and ocean surface temperatures, with the 10th consecutive record-breaking month. The global average temperature is the highest on record, with the past 12 months being 1.58°C above pre-industrial levels. Stopping further warming requires rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.’’

March 2024 was 1.68°C warmer than the average March temperature, during the related pre-industrial period (1850-1900). Another important statistic is the last twelve months were 1.58°C above the pre-industrial level and the warmest 12 months on record.

The global average sea surface temperature is also at a record high level at 21.07°C, marginally above the 21.06°C recorded for February. Ocean temperatures have now been at unprecedented warm levels for over 12 months as shown in Climate Pulse.

Read the March 2024 Surface air temperature update in full.

March 2024 was wetter than average in most of western Europe, for the three main hydrological indicators monitored by C3S; precipitation, surface air relative humidity and surface soil moisture (with some exceptions like eastern Spain).

The Iberian Peninsula, northern Italy and southern France experienced storms causing heavy rainfall. Eastern Scandinavia and parts of north-western Russia were also wetter than average, while the rest of Europe remained drier than average.

Elsewhere, Australia experienced an exceptionally wet month, and it was wetter than average in parts of North America, in Central Asia, Japan, much of the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar and parts of South America.

Read the March 2024 Hydrological variables update in full.

The Arctic sea ice extent reached its annual minimum with a monthly average of 14.9 million km2, only slightly below average. While the sea ice extent for March 2024 remains well below the values observed in the 1980s and 1990s, it is well above the lowest value for March, recorded in 2018, and it’s the highest sea ice extent for March since the year 2013.

Antarctic sea ice resumed its seasonal growth after reaching its annual minimum in February. The average sea ice extent for March 2024 was 3.5 million km2, 0.9 million km2 (or 20%) below the 1991-2020 average for March, marking the sixth-lowest extent for March within the 46-year satellite dataset. With a few exceptions, the Antarctic sea ice extent has experienced a continued series of negative anomalies in March since 2017.

Every month the Copernicus Climate Change Service provides an update on temperatures, hydrology and sea ice, showing the current condition of the climate. The Climate Bulletins include charts and maps with the evolution of key climate change indicators, mainly based on C3S’s reanalysis dataset ERA5.