Since the start of 2024, 15 new national temperature extremes have already been broken, an influential climate historian said Wednesday, citing the British Guardian — and 130 monthly national temperature records have been broken, in addition to tens of thousands of local highs recorded at monitoring stations from the Arctic to the South Pacific, warned Maximiliano Herrera, who keeps records of extreme events.
The unprecedented number of extreme heat events in the first six months of the year was surprising, he said. “This number of extreme heat events is beyond anything seen or even imagined before,” he said. “The months from February 2024 to July 2024 were the most record-breaking months by any statistic.”
El Niño, a warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean surface that is linked to warmer temperatures in many parts of the world, has been fading since February, but that has brought little relief. “Instead of declining with the end of El Niño, records are now declining at a faster rate than they were at the end of 2023,” Herrera said.
Locally, new highs are being broken every day: thousands of monitoring stations are setting new records for monthly highs and lows – at the end of July, the Yueyang area in China suffered an unprecedented 32-degree nighttime low, with dangerously high humidity.
The geographic scope of the national records is impressive: Mexico “equaled” its 52°C peak at Tepachi on June 20. On the other side of the world, the Australian territory of the Cocos Islands equaled its historic peak of 32.8°C on April 7 for the third time this year.
But the most intense heat was concentrated in the tropics. On June 7, Egypt recorded its highest national temperature of 50.9 degrees Celsius in Aswan. Two days earlier, Chad equaled its national record of 48 degrees Celsius in Faya. On May 1, Ghana reached a new peak of 44.6 degrees Celsius in Navrong, while Laos entered a new heat zone with 43.7 degrees Celsius in Tha Ngon. The tropics have set records every day for 15 consecutive months, Herrera said.
The European Union’s main climate monitoring agency, the Copernicus Climate Change Service, recently reported that June was the 13th consecutive month to record monthly temperatures, with temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, leading to extreme heat waves, heavy rains and droughts. The World Meteorological Organization also reported that at least 10 countries have recorded temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius this year.
There is no end in sight to these unwanted records, as Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus, points out: “Even if this particular sequence of extremes ends at some point, it is inevitable that we will see new records broken as the climate continues to warm. This is inevitable unless we stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and oceans.
Find out which national and regional weather records were broken or tied this year:
February 28 – The Cocos Islands recorded their highest temperature ever at 32.8°C. They tied again on February 29 and April 7.
March 6 – Costa Rica broke its national record with a temperature of 41°C (104°F) at Cerro Huacalito. The record was broken again with 41.5°C (104°F) on March 23 at the same location.
March 12 – Comoros breaks national temperature record of 36.2°C at Hahaya Airport
March 13 – Congo breaks national temperature record of 39.6°C in Impfondo.
March 24 – The Maldives broke the national temperature record of 35.1°C at Hanimaadhoo. They tied it again on April 11.
March 31 – Togo broke its national record with a temperature of 44 degrees Celsius in Mango.
April 3 – Mali recorded a new national maximum temperature of 48.5°C in Kayes.
April 10 – Belize sets a new record, with a temperature of 42.3°C (104.6°F) at Barton Creek. This temperature was tied on May 17 at Cha Creek.
April 24 – Chad equals its national record with a temperature of 48°C in Faya, a value reached back on June 5.
April 27 – Cambodia broke the national temperature record of 42.8 degrees Celsius in Preah Vihear and Svay Lieu.
May 1 – Ghana broke its national record with a temperature of 44.6°C in Navrongo.
May 1 – Laos breaks the national temperature record of 43.7°C in Tha Ngon.
May 29 – Palau equaled its national record of 35°C at Babelthoab International Airport. On June 2, it was surpassed with 35.6°C.
June 7 – Egypt sets new national record with temperature of 50.9°C in Aswan.
June 20 – Mexico tied its national record with a temperature of 52 degrees Celsius in Tepachi.
