In a stark reminder of the escalating climate crisis, July 2024 has been confirmed as the hottest month ever recorded globally. This announcement, made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), highlights a disturbing trend of increasing global temperatures, with records being broken for 15 consecutive months. This heatwave further underscores the mounting pressure to address the climate emergency.
NOAA reported that July’s global average temperature was 1.2°C (2.1°F) higher than the norm, surpassing all previous records for the month. Karin Gleason, NOAA’s monitoring section chief, stated that this record surpassed last July by a narrow margin, continuing a streak that began in June 2023. This sequence of extreme temperatures has now surpassed the previous record streak, which occurred between 2015 and 2016.
The latest heatwave has had a profound impact on various regions worldwide. Europe and Africa both experienced their hottest July on record, while North America recorded its second-highest July temperature. Globally, approximately 20% of the land surface experienced new record temperatures. Meanwhile, ocean temperatures also soared, with July marking the second hottest month for the world’s oceans. The oceans, which have been experiencing an unprecedented surge in heat, had previously seen 15 consecutive months of record-breaking warmth.
Heatwaves hit southern Europe and large parts of the US, with the daily average global temperature record being broken twice within two consecutive days. These alarming developments are yet another indicator that the global climate crisis is deepening at an unprecedented rate.
Although NOAA’s findings slightly differ from those of the EU’s Earth-watching service Copernicus, which ranked July as the second hottest on record, both agencies agree that the current warming trend is unsustainable. NOAA has forecasted a 77% chance that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the hottest year ever recorded.
The escalating temperatures are largely attributed to human-induced climate change, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. The recent rise in global temperatures has been further amplified by El Niño, a natural weather phenomenon that causes warmer-than-average temperatures. However, NOAA has also noted the possibility of a La Niña event developing later this year, which may bring cooler temperatures in contrast to El Niño.
Climate scientists have issued dire warnings regarding the future trajectory of the global climate. Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, called the temperature differences of the past 13 months “truly staggering.” He emphasized that humanity is entering “uncharted territory” in terms of climate extremes, with new records expected to be broken in the months and years to come.
Drew Shindell, a climate scientist at Duke University, stressed the urgency of accelerating climate action. “We need to do absolutely everything we can to reduce the emissions driving climate change more rapidly,” he said. Shindell highlighted the necessity of phasing out fossil fuels, reducing methane emissions, and addressing agricultural emissions. These efforts, he argued, must be intensified to avoid exceeding the critical 1.5°C threshold beyond pre-industrial levels.
As global temperatures continue to rise, the need for urgent and coordinated international action has never been clearer. The consequences of inaction are becoming more apparent with each passing year, and the latest record-breaking July serves as yet another reminder that the window for mitigating the worst effects of climate change is rapidly closing.