January 2023 in my DIYDIY Do It Yourself global temperature series was the fifth warmest since 1948, and just a shade warmer than January 2022. The 365 day mean temperature continued to flatline last month, being held in check by the ongoing La NinaLa Niña La Niña is an oceanic and atmospheric phenomenon that is the colder counterpart of El Niño, as part of the broader El Niño–Southern Oscillation climate pattern. The name La Niña originates from Spanish for "the girl", by analogy to El Niño, meaning "the boy". In the past, it was also called an anti-El Niño[1] and El Viejo, meaning "the old man." and a cold Antarctic no doubt.
Interestingly the northern extratropics (23.5N to 66.5 N) warmed considerably just after Christmas, daily anomalies ballooned up to 1.2°C for a while before erratically falling back. All connected with the very mild temperatures across North America and that exceptionally warm New Year in Central Europe.
