GENEVA / GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS

Global temperature records were broken yet again in May 2016, according to data released by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which also reported that it was the hottest (northern hemisphere) spring on record. UNTV CH

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:18
• Production Date: 14 June 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION - WMO
• Subject Topical: CLIMATE CHANGE
• MAMS Id: 1643906
• Parent Id: 1643906
• Alternate Title: unifeed160614c

Description

STORY: GENEVA / GLOBAL TEMPERATURE RECORDS
TRT: 1:54
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 JUNE 2016 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

1. Exterior, Palais des Nations
2. Pan left, press briefing room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) David Carlsson, Director, World Climate Research Programme:
“We are watching global CO2. It has never been higher, it is 4 parts per million, that is 8 Giga tonnes higher than it has ever been before.”
4. Close up, journalist
5. SOUNDBITE (English) David Carlsson, Director, World Climate Research Programme:
“There have now been 370 consecutive months of warm or warmer than average surface temperatures which means that my son, who is 30 years old – 360 months – has never in his life had a month that was cooler than average. So everyone on the planet who is 30 years old has only had warm or warmer months through their entire life.”
6. Close up, hands
7. SOUNDBITE (English) David Carlsson, Director, World Climate Research Programme:
“Northern hemisphere snow cover has never been lower in the 50 year record, that is also a satellite product. Barrow in Alaska, think of that as a very northern place, was snow free meaning all the snow melted out at the earliest days ever in their record – 78 years.”
8. Med shot, reporters
9. Wide shot, press conference room

Storyline

Global temperature records were broken yet again in May 2016, according to data released by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which also reported that it was the hottest (northern hemisphere) spring on record.

David Carlsson, World Climate Research Director of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) told reporters in Geneva today (14 Jun) that the human cause of rise in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is being given an extra boost this year by the El Nino, according to scientists led by the UK’s Met Office.

Carlsson also said that “we are watching global CO2. It has never been higher, it is 400 parts per million (ppm), that is 8 Giga tonnes higher than it has ever been before.”

Above-average temperatures were especially pronounced in high northern latitudes, according NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. It was the hottest spring (March, April, May) on record. Alaska had its warmest spring on record by margin and Australia its warmest autumn on record.

The Director of the World Climate Research Programme said “there have now been 370 consecutive months of warm or warmer than average surface temperatures which means that my son, who is 30 years old – 360 months – has never in his life had a month that was cooler than average. So everyone on the planet who is 30 years old has only had warm or warmer months through their entire life.”

The Northern Hemisphere had exceptionally low snow coverage for both April and May 2016.

Carlsson noted “northern hemisphere snow cover has never been lower in the 50 year record, that is also a satellite product. Barrow in Alaska, think of that as a very northern place, was snow free meaning all the snow melted out at the earliest days ever in their record – 78 years.”

The record temperatures in May were accompanied by other extreme events, including very heavy precipitation in parts of Europe and the southern USA, and widespread and severe coral reef bleaching.