Globally, this year’s March was the second-warmest ever, exceeded only by March 2024, the scientists said. The global average temperature in March was 1.6 degrees Celsius hotter than in preindustrial times.
Scientists warn that the consequences of climate change — such as droughts, heavy rainfall and heat waves — increase with every tenth of a degree of warming.
Southern Europe, the Iberian peninsula in particular, saw an abundant rainfall this March, causing widespread floods. Northwestern Russia and parts of Iceland and Norway experienced similar wetter-than-average conditions, according to the scientists.
