2020 is on track to be Earth’s warmest year on record Isabella O'Malley jeudi, 23 avril 2020 à 13:15 - Despite the widespread drop in greenhouse gas emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA reports that global temperatures will be record-breaking in 2020. While the COVID-19 lockdowns have caused dramatic declines in greenhouse gas emissions, abnormally warm global temperatures are telling us that the climate is still heading into unprecedented territory. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported that there is a 75 per cent chance 2020 will be the warmest year on Earth since record-keeping began in 1880. Global temperatures are expected to be warmer than those in 2016, which was declared the warmest year on record at the time. The unusually strong El Niño event of 2015-2016 contributed to 2016’s record-breaking warmth. There are currently no indications that we will see an El Niño event this year, however, which makes NOAA’s projections particularly concerning.