Climate System Approaching Tipping Points with Rising Global Temperatures

June 2023 saw several alarming climate indicators, suggesting that parts of the climate system may be reaching tipping points. Record-breaking heat, including the hottest June ever recorded, was experienced globally, with extreme temperatures in remote Siberia and a historic mountain heatwave in Iran. The polar ice caps are at their lowest extent on record, with Antarctic sea ice at a record-low extent. Forest areas the size of Kentucky have burned in Canada, releasing massive amounts of carbon. The tropical Pacific Ocean is shifting into the warm El Niño phase, which could further increase global temperatures. These extreme events could be early warnings of irreversible changes in weather patterns, sea ice, and fire regimes.