Greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea level and ocean heat reached record highs in 2022, according to an annual review of the global climate published on Wednesday.

The State of the Climate report, the 33rd annual assessment compiled by the National Centers for Environmental Information at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is based on contributions from more than 570 scientists in over 60 countries.

It provides the most comprehensive update on Earth's climate indicators, notable weather events and other data collected by environmental monitoring stations and instruments located on land, water, ice and in space.

According to the report, Earth's greenhouse gas concentrations were the highest on record in 2022. Warming trends continued across the globe.

A range of scientific analysis indicate that the annual global surface temperature was 0.25 to 0.30 degree Celsius above the 1991-2020 average.

La Niña conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that began in mid-2020, with a short break in 2021, continued through all of 2022, according to the report.

Heatwaves shattered temperature records across the planet, according to the report. In July, a 14-day heatwave swept through western Europe.

Record-breaking summer heat in central and eastern Asia, particularly in the Yangtze River basin, led to a devastating drought that affected more than 38 million people and caused a direct economic loss of $4.75 billion, according to the report.

(Cover image via CFP)

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