The global average temperature continues to rise above the record of 17.09 degrees Celsius set on July 21, due to an unusually warm winter in the Arctic.
According to preliminary data from the Copernicus Climate Change Agency of the European Union, the global average temperature reached 17.15 degrees Celsius on July 22, surpassing the previous day’s record of 17.09 degrees Celsius, as reported by NBC News. In other words, the Earth has experienced two consecutive hottest days. The higher-than-normal winter temperatures in Antarctica contributed to pushing global temperatures to new heights. This temperature record marks a milestone that climate scientists do not expect to last long as human activities continue to drive climate change by releasing pollution from fossil fuels into the atmosphere.
People cool off under a fountain in Madrid Rio park in Madrid on July 23. (Photo: AFP)
Bob Henson, a meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections, shared that while it is not surprising that the record was broken, the surge in temperatures over the past two years is still “staggering.”
People around the world are enduring the impacts of extreme heat this week and throughout the summer. The state of California, USA, recorded temperatures exceeding 37 degrees Celsius in many areas on July 22, contributing to the risk of wildfires in the region. Temperatures rose to 47.8 degrees Celsius in Al Dhaid, a city in northeastern Dubai. Southern France continues to swelter, with many areas in Spain and Portugal issuing heat warnings.
Apart from the effects of climate change, this summer is particularly hot due to El Niño, a natural cyclical pattern that brings warmer sea surface temperatures to the eastern Pacific and raises global temperatures. Henson hopes that La Niña, associated with cooler temperatures, will have an impact later this year, thereby reducing the average temperatures. “Even if next year does not see similar records, we know the long-term forecast remains one of increasingly warmer temperatures over time,” Henson said.
Copernicus uses climate analysis data, combining real observations and computer models of atmospheric circulation, to monitor global temperatures. The program has been recording records since 1940. Before July 21, the record for the hottest day was 16.8 degrees Celsius, recorded on August 12, 2016. The record set on July 22 could still be broken, according to Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Agency.
