Muscat: Just as the holy month of Ramadhan and the Eid al-Fitr just passed by with people taking advantage of the weather conducive for outdoor socialising and vacationing, temperatures in most governorates of the Sultanate of Oman have started going up at a brisk pace.
The Sultanate of Oman is witnessing a steady rise in temperatures, with mercury levels touching 40°C across many governorates, which mark the onset of summer and the gradual end of winter.
The Wilayat of Sur recorded the highest temperature of 41°C during the last 24 hours, according to the Oman Meteorology bulletin. In the capital, Bausher reported 40.6°C, Samail 39.6°C, Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan 38.7°C, and Al Buraimi 39°C.
It may be noted that 2024 was the planet’s warmest year on record, according to an analysis by scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed that 2024 is the warmest year on record, based on six international datasets. The past ten years have all been in the Top Ten, in an extraordinary streak of record-breaking temperatures.
A study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences found that ocean warming in 2024 played a key role in the record high temperatures. The ocean is the warmest it has ever been as recorded by humans, not only at the surface but also for the upper 2000 meters, according to the study led by Prof. Lijing Cheng with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It involved a team of 54 scientists from seven countries and 31 institutes.
About 90% of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change.
From 2023 to 2024, the global upper 2000 m ocean heat content increase is 16 zettajoules (1021 Joules), about 140 times the world’s total electricity generation in 2023, according to the study, which is based on the Institute of Atmospheric Physics dataset.
About 90% of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change. From 2023 to 2024, the global upper 2000 m ocean heat content increase is 16 zettajoules (1021 Joules), about 140 times the world’s total electricity generation in 2023, according to the study, which is based on the Institute of Atmospheric Physics dataset.
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