PROVIDENCE – The temperature in Rhode Island has risen 2 degrees Celsius from 1895 to 2018, the most of any state in the Lower 48, according to The Washington Post Tuesday.
The United States warmed on average 1 degree Celsius in that time. Alaska was reportedly the fastest warming of all states.
The report said the Northeast region of the U.S. was the fastest-warming region in the country and the change was having a tangible impact on the region’s seasons, fisheries and other aspects of life.
Washington County had the fastest rise in the state, jumping 2.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Kent County at 2.1 degrees Celsius, Newport County at 2 degrees Celsius, and Bristol County and Providence County both at 1.9 degrees Celsius.
The Washington Post also profiles a beach community in South Kingstown, located at Roy Carpenter’s Beach, in the story, chronicling the changes to the community due to sea-level rise. The story notes the Ocean State is particularly vulnerable to climate change and sea-level rise due to the extensive coastline.
The story also said the Narragansett Bay has seen a temperature rise of 1.6 degrees Celsius over the last 50 years, impacting the lobster industry, among other things.
The Washington Post report used data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among other sources.
Read PBN’s cover story series on Rhode Island’s vulnerability to coastal flooding here.
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