The Earth has just experienced its hottest summer on record, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, as reported on Friday.
The record, surpassing last year’s, is attributed to human-induced climate change combined with the temporary effects of the El Niño weather phenomenon.
Copernicus reported that the average temperature for the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months—June, July, and August—reached 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 degrees Fahrenheit), which is 0.03 degrees Celsius (0.05 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the previous record set in 2023.
While Copernicus data goes back to 1940, temperature records from the U.S., U.K., and Japan, which date back to the mid-19th century, indicate that the past decade has been the hottest period in approximately 120,000 years.
Both August 2023 and August 2024 were tied as the hottest Augusts globally, with temperatures peaking at 16.82 degrees Celsius (62.27 degrees Fahrenheit). July 2024 nearly set a record, but the extreme heat in June 2024 ensured that this summer was the warmest overall, said Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus.
FILE – Visitors stroll through sunflower fields at Kasai Rinkai Park in Tokyo on Aug. 2, 2024, following Japan’s hottest July in 126 years.
Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, emphasized the gravity of the rising temperatures, stating, “These seemingly modest numbers highlight how the climate crisis is tightening its grip on us.”
Initially, Buontempo was unsure whether 2024 would surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record, given the extreme heat recorded in August 2023.
However, with August 2024 matching last year’s temperatures, he is now confident that 2024 will break the previous record unless a significant cooling trend occurs in the final months.
Hot Day in France Recording 121FAlthough a forecasted La Niña event, which temporarily cools parts of the central Pacific, could prevent record-breaking temperatures in the last four months of the year, it’s unlikely to be sufficient to stop 2024 from becoming the hottest year on record.
Extreme weather events tied to climate change are continuing to affect populations across the globe. Last month, heavy rains in Sudan triggered floods that displaced over 300,000 people and sparked a cholera outbreak.
At the same time, severe droughts have plagued the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, while Typhoon Gaemi has caused devastation in the Philippines, Taiwan, and China, leading to over 100 fatalities.
In response to these developments, U.S. climate envoy John Podesta visited China this week to discuss climate policy ahead of the United Nations climate summit scheduled for November.
On Friday, Podesta met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi after wrapping up his three-day visit to Beijing, where he and his Chinese counterpart, Liu Zhenmin, co-chaired talks on the climate policies of both nations.
Podesta’s visit highlighted the potential for collaboration between the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters, despite broader geopolitical tensions.
During his opening remarks, Wang noted that Podesta’s meeting with Liu “sent a positive signal that China and the United States, as two major countries, can and should cooperate.”
The record-breaking heat is attributed to human-caused climate change, along with the effects of a previous El Niño event—a natural warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that elevates global temperatures and alters weather patterns worldwide.
While La Niña might offer brief respite, it is unlikely to reverse the broader trend of global warming, according to Copernicus.