Multiple relentless heatwaves occurred in 2023, with much of the world experiencing at least 20 more heatwave days than the 1991–2020 average. Prominent and record-breaking events included exceptional wintertime and spring heat in South America, large heatwaves over Europe, Africa and Asia, and a prolonged event over south-eastern USA and Central America.
Key points
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Persistent heatwaves across much of the globe were synonymous with the hottest year on record.
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Many 2023 heatwaves exhibited record-smashing extreme temperatures, including a widespread heatwave spanning Thailand to Northern China that featured the worst April heatwave in South China on record.
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South America saw many prominent heat events, with exceptional heat in winter and early spring that broke all-time summertime records.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Copernicus Climate Change Service for publicly providing the ERA5 reanalysis in near real time.
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Perkins-Kirkpatrick, S., Barriopedro, D., Jha, R. et al. Extreme terrestrial heat in 2023. Nat Rev Earth Environ 5, 244–246 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00536-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00536-y
