Earth withered by means of a second-straight day of record-breaking temperatures on July 22, the EU’s local weather monitor said Wednesday, as components of the world endure devastating heatwaves and wildfires.
Preliminary information from the Copernicus Local weather Change Service (C3S) confirmed the every day international common temperature was 17.15 levels Celsius (62.9 levels Fahrenheit) on Monday, the warmest day in recorded historical past.
This was 0.06 °C hotter than the day earlier than on July 21, which itself broke by a small margin the all-time excessive temperature set solely a 12 months earlier than.
“That is precisely what local weather science advised us would occur if the world continued burning coal, oil and fuel,” mentioned Joyce Kimutai, a local weather scientist from Imperial Faculty London, on Wednesday.
“And it’ll proceed getting hotter till we cease burning fossil fuels and attain internet zero emissions.”
Copernicus, which makes use of satellite tv for pc information to replace international air and sea temperatures near actual time, mentioned its figures had been provisional and ultimate values might differ very barely.
🌡️ New every day international common temperature document.
As anticipated, the #CopernicusClimate ERA5 preliminary information present that Monday 22 July was the warmest day in current historical past, at 17.15°C, breaking the data from 21 July 24 and 6 July 23.
Learn extra: https://t.co/FCDXtIadxn pic.twitter.com/WxfcjXF8hl
— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) July 24, 2024
It anticipated every day data might maintain toppling as summer season peaks within the northern hemisphere, and the planet endures a rare stretch of unprecedented warmth on the again of the hottest-ever 12 months.
The monitor on Tuesday mentioned international temperatures had been anticipated to drop quickly although there may very well be additional fluctuations.
International warming is inflicting longer, stronger and extra frequent excessive climate occasions, and this 12 months has been marked by main disasters throughout the globe.
The historic warmth has been felt on many continents together with Asia, North America and Europe, the place heatwaves and wildfires have torn a path of destruction in current weeks.
#Wildfire smoke and #Saharandust throughout the North Atlantic.
The #CopernicusAtmosphere 5-day complete aerosol optical depth forecast from 24 July reveals very excessive values within the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
See the worldwide forecast 👉https://t.co/EsiRkWcuMG pic.twitter.com/fhOgCe3P2u
— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) July 24, 2024
Fires have additionally ripped by means of the Arctic, which is warming a lot sooner than elsewhere on the planet, whereas winter temperatures had been nicely above regular in Antarctica.
‘Horrific temperatures’
Copernicus mentioned it was much less the actual fact every day temperature data had been being rewritten than a broader sample of never-before-seen warming that vastly worries local weather scientists.
Each month since June 2023 has eclipsed its personal temperature document in comparison with the identical month in earlier years, one thing by no means earlier than seen.
The warmth witnessed on Sunday and Monday solely barely exceeded the July 2023 document, however was far above the earlier excessive of 16.8 °C set in August 2016.
Copernicus mentioned that the 16.8 °C document has been smashed 57 instances since July 2023, across the time international temperatures started a gradual rise into what scientists have known as unchartered territory.
“The a lot used time period ‘unprecedented’ not describes the horrific temperatures we’re experiencing,” Christiana Figueres, a former head of the UN’s local weather change physique, mentioned on Wednesday.
Copernicus data return to 1940 however different sources of local weather information reminiscent of ice cores, tree rings and coral skeletons permit scientists to develop their conclusions utilizing proof from a lot deeper previously.
Local weather scientists say the interval being lived by means of proper now could be seemingly the warmest the earth has been for the final 100,000 years, again firstly of the final Ice Age.
The burning of fossil fuels is the first driver of local weather change and emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases maintain rising regardless of international efforts to gradual rising temperatures.
Copernicus on Tuesday mentioned 2024 might cross 2023 as the most popular 12 months on document nevertheless it was “too early to foretell with confidence”.
© Agence France-Presse