Historic July breaks 13-month warmth record: two hottest days ever recorded
A cyclist cools off at a fountain at Madrid Rio park during the second day of the heatwave, in Madrid, Spain on July 25, 2024. Photo Reuters
July 2024 was recorded as the second hottest July globally, ending a 13-month period where each month set a new warmth record, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
This streak had been partly driven by the El Nino weather pattern. The temperature for July was 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial baseline of 1850-1990, while the average for the past 12 months was 1.64 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, largely due to climate change.
The month also saw the two hottest days ever recorded. Copernicus attributes the extreme temperatures primarily to greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel industries and noted an unusual rise in ocean temperatures, even in areas typically unaffected by El Nino.
Julien Nicolas, a climate researcher at Copernicus, commented to Reuters that although El Nino has ended, the scale of global temperature rises remains similar to the previous year. He emphasised that long-term warming trends are strongly linked to human influence on the climate.
Above-average temperatures were observed in southern and eastern Europe, western parts of the United States and Canada, much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and eastern Antarctica. Conversely, northwestern Europe, western Antarctica, parts of the United States, South America, and Australia experienced near or below-average temperatures.
In July 2024, northern Europe and southeastern Turkey experienced wetter conditions than usual, while southern and eastern Europe faced ongoing drought warnings. Arctic sea ice extent was 7% below average, less severe than the record 14% drop observed in 2020 but more than the reductions in 2022 and 2023. Antarctic sea ice coverage was the second lowest for July at 11% below average, compared to 15% below last year.
Global sea temperatures remained near record highs, with this July only 0.1 degrees Celsius cooler than last July, ending a 15-month streak of consecutive record temperatures.
Nicolas expressed surprise at the extent of the warming and questioned potential changes in ocean currents beyond natural climate patterns like El Nino and La Nina.