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Earth is now gaining less heat than it has for several years

The recent surge in warming led to fears that climate change may be accelerating beyond model projections, but a fall in how much heat Earth is gaining makes this less likely

By Michael Le Page

25 October 2024

The balance between heat gained from the sun and lost to space determines how fast the planet warms
Tomas Griger/Alamy

This year is on course to be the hottest on record, with an average global surface temperature more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. But there is some better news: the overall amount of heat energy being gained by the planet has fallen sharply from a record spike early in 2023.

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The mystery of the missing La Niña continues – and we don't know why

At the time, there were suggestions that the spike in heat gain…

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