The earth has just witnessed its hottest January on record, defying expectations and leaving climate scientists scrambling for answers. This is not just another milestone in the well-documented warming trend caused by greenhouse gas emissions. What makes this event particularly troubling is that it occurred despite the shift from an El Niño to a developing La Niña ~ historically associated with cooling.

The fact that the expected dip in temperatures did not materialise raises urgent questions about whether climate change is accelerating in ways we do not yet fully understand. For decades, climate models have predicted a steady rise in global temperatures, primarily driven by carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases. However, the scale of warming over the past two years ~ exceeding projections by 0.2°C ~ suggests that additional, poorly understood factors may be at play. One theory is that the previous La Niña........

© The Statesman