Global Temperatures Soar: July Records Second Hottest on Record

The planet experienced its second hottest July on record last month, breaking a 13-month streak of record-breaking temperatures. This intense heatwave, partly driven by the El Niño weather pattern, underscores the ongoing impact of climate change. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, July’s temperatures were 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial average of 1850-1990. Over the last year, global temperatures were 1.64 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial benchmark, largely due to human-induced climate change.

Record-Breaking Days and Unusual Ocean Warming

July also saw the two hottest days ever recorded. The surge in temperatures is attributed primarily to greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel industries. What surprised researchers most was the unusual warming in oceans not typically affected by El Niño, raising concerns about potential shifts in ocean currents. Julien Nicolas, a climate researcher with Copernicus, commented on the alarming trend, stating, “We are not done with temperature records causing heatwaves.

This long-term warming trend is strongly linked to human impact on the climate.”

Regional Impacts and Sea Ice Decline

Above-average temperatures were reported across southern and eastern Europe, the western United States, Canada, most of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and eastern Antarctica. In contrast, regions such as northwestern Europe, western Antarctica, parts of the United States, South America, and Australia experienced near or below-average temperatures.

July was also marked by wetter-than-average conditions in northern Europe and southeastern Turkey, while drought conditions persisted in southern and eastern Europe.In the polar regions, Arctic sea ice was down 7% from average, though not as drastically as the record 14% decline in 2020. Meanwhile, Antarctic sea ice was the second lowest on record for July, with an 11% drop compared to the 15% decline observed last year. Global sea temperatures remained near record highs, with July 2024 just 0.1 degrees Celsius cooler than July 2023, ending a 15-month streak of consecutive record-breaking temperatures.