In a concerning report, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) revealed that global air and ocean temperatures reached a record high in July. The findings have intensified worries among climate scientists, who fear that the planet may have entered uncharted territory in terms of temperature extremes.
According to C3S, the global average surface air temperature in July was confirmed to be the highest on record for any month. The month was a staggering 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the average for the 1850-1900 period, and 0.33 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous warmest month recorded in July 2019.
Notably, global average sea surface temperatures also continued to rise in July, following a prolonged period of unusually high temperatures that began in April. For the entire month, the planet’s average sea surface temperature was 0.51 degrees Celsius above the 1991 to 2020 average.
The data, collected from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide, comes after a series of record-breaking heatwaves in various regions. Regions across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia encountered blistering temperatures. while South American countries faced record-breaking temperatures even in the middle of winter.
Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, emphasized the dire consequences of these records for both people and the planet. Extreme events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense, underscoring the urgent need for ambitious efforts to cut global greenhouse gas emissions, which are the primary cause of these worrisome temperature records.
Recently, both C3S and the U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization recognized the first three weeks of July as the hottest three-week period ever recorded. The ongoing record heat affecting communities worldwide is directly linked to the climate emergency, reinforcing the importance of rapidly and significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
C3S reported that 2023 ranks as the third-hottest year on record in the year-to-date, with temperatures 0.43 degrees Celsius above the recent average. The gap between 2023 and 2016, the hottest year on record, is expected to narrow in the coming months. While the latter part of 2016 saw relatively cool temperatures, the remainder of 2023 is predicted to be comparatively warm as the current El Niño event develops.
El Niño, a natural climate pattern, contributes to higher temperatures globally. The U.N. weather agency declared the onset of El Niño on July 4, warning that its return could pave the way for extreme weather conditions.
Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, issued a grave warning, stating that “the era of global boiling” has arrived. He emphasized that humans are unequivocally responsible for climate change and that the current situation is consistent with predictions and repeated warnings. The urgent task ahead is to address climate change with determination and action as the impacts intensify.