Washington – The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated on Wednesday, on its annual “State of the Climate” report that several indicators of global warming ranging from rising sea levels to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere set new records in 2020.

In a press release, the report said that multiple markers such as sea level, ocean heat content, and permafrost broke records set just one year prior.

“Notably, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere also reached record highs in 2020, even with an estimated 6%–7% reduction of CO2 emissions due to the economic slowdown from the global pandemic,” it added.

Among other indicators of climate change, average global surface temperatures were 0.54°–0.62° Celsius above the 1981-2010 average, placing 2020 among the three warmest years since records began in the mid- to late-1800s, it pointed out.

Global sea levels increased to a new record high for the ninth consecutive year, to levels about 3.6 inches above the 1993 average.

Upper-ocean heat also reached record highs, a development that can stronger hurricanes and increase melting rates of ice in glaciers around Greenland and Antarctica, it noted.

The Arctic also continued to warm, with average surface air temperatures for land areas the highest going back 121 years. The highest temperature was recorded on June 20, at Verkhoyansk, Russia.

The report was compiled by NOAA, with contributions from more than 530 scientists from over 60 countries.