Climate Facts: 89% chance 2023 will rank among five warmest years, says NOAA

The complexities of climate change and its associated jargons can make it difficult to digest.

TheCable’s quick climate facts will help demystify these concepts through easy-to-understand and straightforward explanations.

Here are some to keep at the tip of your fingers:

• May 2023 was the world’s third warmest May on record in 174 years, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
• NOAA says there is a 99 percent chance that 2023 will rank among the ten warmest years on record, and 89 percent likelihood that it will rank among the top five.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says climate change is intensifying the water cycle with more rainfall, flooding, and drought.
• According to the United Nations, the ocean soaks up most of the heat from global warming. It absorbs carbon dioxide and keeps it from the atmosphere.
• However, more carbon dioxide makes the ocean more acidic, which in turn endangers marine life and coral reefs.