NEW YORK, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- It seemed that temporary conditions, including an El Niño climate pattern that has always been known to boost average global temperatures, didn't give way to let Earth cool down this year, reported The Washington Post on Friday.

As 2023 came to a close, scientists had hoped that a stretch of record heat that emerged across the planet might finally begin to subside in 2024.

"Global temperatures remain at near-record levels," noted the report. "After 2023 ended up the warmest year in human history by far, 2024 is almost certain to be even warmer. Now, some scientists say this could indicate fundamental changes are happening to the global climate that are raising temperatures faster than anticipated."

One or two years of such heat, however extraordinary, doesn't alone mean that the warming trajectory is hastening. Scientists are exploring a number of theories for why the heat is so persistent.

"The biggest factor, they agree, is that the world's oceans remain extraordinarily warm, far beyond what is usual warmth that drives the temperature on land up as well," it said, adding that "this could prove to be a temporary phenomenon, just an unlucky two years, and could reverse." Enditem

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