In a sweltering summer that has left many gasping for breath, new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has painted a grim picture of Earth's warming trends, with July witnessing the hottest two days on record and 2024 poised to become the warmest year ever.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
The month of July has etched its name in history books as the second hottest July and the second warmest month globally ever recorded. This revelation came amidst a relentless surge in global temperatures that has seen records tumble over the past year and a half, with each month setting a new benchmark for heat.
C3S data revealed that since June 2023, every month has shattered previous records in temperature, marking an unprecedented 13-month stretch of unrelenting warmth. The climax came in July, with the planet experiencing its hottest two days ever – July 22nd and 23rd – when global daily average temperatures soared to 17.16°C and 17.15°C, respectively. The agency noted that due to the negligible difference, it was a toss-up between the two days as to which was hotter.
The monthly average temperature for July stood at 16.91°C, 0.68°C above the 1991-2020 average and just shy of the record set in July 2023 by a mere 0.04°C. The average temperature was also a stark 1.48°C above pre-industrial levels, signaling a concerning acceleration in global warming.
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
Moreover, the past 12 months (August 2023 to July 2024) have seen the global average temperature rise by 0.76°C above the 1991-2020 average and a staggering 1.64°C warmer than pre-industrial times. These figures underscored the relentless march of climate change and the urgent need for action.
As if the heatwave wasn't enough, C3S predicted that 2024 was all but certain to become the hottest year on record. The global temperature anomaly from January to July 2024 was already 0.70°C above the 1991-2020 average and 0.27°C higher than 2023. For the year 2024, to avoid surpassing 2023 as the hottest year, the average temperature anomaly for the remaining months would need to drop by an unprecedented 0.23°C, a highly unlikely scenario.
"The relentless warming trend is undeniable," said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of C3S. "Our climate continues to heat up, and the devastating impacts of climate change are here and now, long before we reach net-zero emissions."
(Photo: Nanfang Daily)
Closer to Guangdong, the China Meteorological Administration has issued a warning for the upcoming month, forecasting 2 to 3 typhoons to make landfall in China, primarily affecting the coastal regions of southern and eastern provinces. While the number and intensity of these typhoons are expected to be close to normal, the threat of a powerful storm like "Gaemi" cannot be overlooked.
Author | Alice
Editor | Monica, James
