Last Sunday, July 21, was the hottest day on record, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service. Climate change From the European Copernicus programme, which has been tracking these global climate patterns since 1940.
The global average surface air temperature on Sunday was 17.09 degrees Celsius — slightly higher than the previous record set in July 2023, of 17.08 degrees Celsius — as heat waves affected large areas of the United States, Europe and Russia.
Carlo Bontempo, director of the Copernicus service, said it was possible that Sunday’s record could be surpassed this week as heatwaves continue to ravage the world. “When we have these highs, they tend to cluster together,” he said.
Last year, four consecutive days broke the record, from July 3 to 6, when climate change, driven by burning Fossil fuelsIt caused extreme heat throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Although Sunday’s record was only slightly higher than last year, “What is striking is the difference in temperatures over the past 13 months compared to previous records.“Every month since June 2023 has been ranked as the hottest on the planet since records began, compared to the corresponding month in previous years, Bontempo said.
Some scientists have suggested that 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record, with climate change and natural weather events. El Nino – which ended in April – has caused temperatures to rise this year. “As a result of increased gases with Global Warming And in the atmosphere, we will see new records broken in the coming months and years.“Bontempo said.
Scientists and environmentalists have long called on world leaders and wealthier nations to phase out and end reliance on fossil fuels to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change, including increasing heat waves.
