Last month, July was the hottest month on record, marking the fourteenth consecutive month with record monthly temperatures, according to a specialized American agency. The American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted in its monthly bulletin that there is a 77% chance that 2024 will be the hottest year on record so far. The European Copernicus Climate Change Service, which relies on a different set of data, pointed out that July 2024 was slightly cooler than July 2023. However, both agencies agree that the situation is concerning, as every month for nearly a year has recorded record monthly temperatures.
The year 2024 will definitely be among the five hottest years, according to NOAA, which has data on this matter dating back 175 years. In July, global temperatures were 1.21 degrees Celsius higher than the 20th century average (15.8 degrees Celsius), according to the agency. The report highlighted a series of heatwaves experienced particularly in Mediterranean and Gulf countries. Africa, Europe, and Asia recorded the hottest July ever, while July was the second hottest month in North America.
July 2024 was the second hottest month for the oceans, according to NOAA, aligning with Copernicus findings. This month concludes a 15-month streak of consecutive record temperatures in the seas. The average ocean temperature in July was 20.88 degrees Celsius, the second highest ocean temperature recorded in July, just 0.01 degrees Celsius lower than the record set last year, according to the Copernicus Observatory. However, a more significant drop in temperatures is expected as the El Niño climate phenomenon, characterized by rising ocean temperatures, is coming to an end.
2023 was the hottest year ever recorded. Last week, Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Climate Change Service (C3S) at Copernicus, confirmed that "the devastating impacts of climate change started long before 2023 and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach carbon neutrality."
