Updated: 30-03-2023
Source: China Meteorological New Press
On March 18, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) released State of Global Climate (2022) (hereinafter referred to as “this report”), which fully reflects China's new results and progresses in monitoring global temperature and precipitation, atmospheric circulation system, sea surface temperature, snow cover and sea ice. During the compilation, CMA strengthened the analysis and application of independent observation data, reanalysis data and FENGYUN meteorological satellite data, and carried out global climate condition monitoring and assessment. It has underpinned global precise forecasting and refined services.
This report was compiled by Beijing Climate Centre (BCC), together with National Satellite Meteorological Centre (NSMC) and National Meteorological Information Centre (NMIC).
This report has demonstrated the latest global climate monitoring and assessment information from five aspects, namely, global basic climate condition, atmospheric circulation monitoring, ocean monitoring, snow and sea ice monitoring, major global meteorological disasters and major weather and climate events.
According to this report, in 2022, the land temperature in most parts of the world was close to or higher than that in normal years, with northern Asia, Central Asia, eastern West Asia, northern and western Europe, and most of Greenland exposed to more than 1℃ higher temperature. The global annual average land temperature was 1.67℃ higher than the average from 1850 to 1900, ranking the fourth highest since 1850. The global average annual precipitation was more than that in normal years, with large spatial distribution difference.
Spatial Distribution of global annual average land temperature anomaly from January 2022 to December 2022
In 2022, Europe, China, the United States, Japan, Pakistan and India experienced record heat waves. France, Portugal and Spain were subjected to the hottest May on record. Europe witnessed its hottest summer on record. And China saw a widespread heat wave process that lasted 79 days, which was the longest lasting regional heat wave event since 1961.
Spatial distribution of global precipitation anomaly from January 2022 to December 2022
The United Kingdom, France, Romania, China and other regions suffered from drought. The drought in China affected Sichuan, Chongqing and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the indicators like intensity and the scope of influence ranked first since 1961. Rainstorm and flooding raged Brazil, eastern Australia, central and southern Africa, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea. North America and Europe was wrecked by freezing temperatures and snowstorms.
Spatial distribution of global sea surface temperature anomaly from January 2022 to December 2022
In 2022, sea surface temperature (SST) in most of the world's seas was close to or higher than usual, but SST in the equatorial Middle East Pacific was lower than usual. The La Nina event which formed in January 2022 lasted throughout the year, and developed abnormally in winter and spring. The snow cover area in the Northern Hemisphere and Eurasia was close to that in normal years. The snow cover area in China was relatively larger. In winter, the snow cover area in China and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ranked the third and second highest in history. Both Arctic and Antarctic sea ice extent was smaller than usual.
In 2022, the average SST in most of the world's sea areas was close to or higher than usual. SST in the North Pacific, the western Tropical Pacific, the mid-latitude South Pacific, the eastern Tropical Indian Ocean, the mid-latitude South Indian Ocean, the mid-latitude North Atlantic Ocean, the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the mid-latitude South Atlantic Ocean and other sea areas experienced temperature which was 0.5℃ higher. The average SST in the tropical Middle East Pacific was lower than that in normal years. And the SST anomaly in the sea areas of the equator and its southern parts registered lower than -1.0℃.
The spatial distribution of the number of snowy days and the anomaly in 2022
In 2022, the snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere and Eurasia was close to the usual, while the snow cover in China was relatively large. Winter snow cover in China and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau increased by 26.07% and 60.8%, respectively, ranking the third and second highest in history.
The Arctic sea ice extent was 2.9% and 12.7% smaller than that in the same period of the year, respectively in March and September, 2022. The Antarctic sea ice extent in February, 2022 registered 30.1% smaller than that in the same period of the year, which was the lowest in history. The Antarctic sea ice extent in September was noticeably smaller than that in the same period of the year, which ranked the fifth lowest in history.
Editor: Liu Shuqiao