Last month marked the world's hottest July on record, US scientists say
This year could beat 2023 for the hottest year on record as 15-month heat streak extends, according to Noaa
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/15/july-world-record-heat
The world just had its hottest July ever recorded, elongating a string of monthly temperature highs that now stretch back for 15 consecutive months, US government scientists have announced. Last month was about 1.2C (2.1F) hotter than average across the globe, making it the hottest July on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said on Thursday. This means that
every month for the past 15 months has beaten its previous monthly record.
The record warmth last month saw new July highs for Europe and Africa, while North America had its second hottest ever July. About a fifth of the worlds total land surface had new record temperatures in July, with only the very tip of South America having a cooler than average month. Across the oceans, which have been experiencing exceptional surging levels of heat over the past year, last month was the second hottest July recorded, breaking a string of 15 consecutive record hot months.
What is truly staggering is how large the difference is between the temperature of the last 13 months and the previous temperature records, said Carlo Buontempo, director of the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service following the daily record set on 21 July. We are now in truly uncharted territory and as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years.
Climate scientists have stressed the elevated heat is a clear sign of the influence of a climate crisis being driven by the burning of fossil fuels and a sign that efforts to keep the world to within a 1.5C temperature rise beyond pre-industrial times are insufficient.