In July, the average temperature of Earth reached its highest level in recorded history, accompanied by numerous disasters such as storms, wildfires, and floods.
People cooling off under the fountain at Madrid Rio Park in Madrid, Spain, on July 23. (Photo: AFP).
Human-caused climate change is the culprit behind the severe heatwaves, driven by activities such as coal burning and deforestation, according to an analysis of global extreme temperatures by Climate Central. The average temperature of Earth in July was 17.01 degrees Celsius, the highest in the 175-year records of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), rising 1.21 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average.
In the U.S., the average temperature for July was 24.3 degrees Celsius, ranking as the 11th highest in the past 130 years. Las Vegas recorded an all-time high of 49 degrees Celsius on July 7. Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., July 17 marked the fourth consecutive day that temperatures exceeded 38 degrees Celsius, tying the city’s previous record for consecutive days of such high temperatures.
NOAA’s monthly report also indicated that there is a 77% chance that 2024 will become the hottest year on record and is certainly within the top five. Africa, Europe, and Asia all experienced their hottest July on record, while North America had its second hottest July.
NOAA’s data contrasts with that from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Monitoring Agency, which utilizes a different dataset and calculates that this July’s average temperature is the second highest on record, slightly lower than July 2023. However, both agencies agree on the alarming trend of record heat.
According to NOAA, ocean temperatures in July were the second warmest ever recorded, mirroring Copernicus’s findings. Last week, Copernicus scientists noted that air temperatures over the oceans remain unusually high in many areas despite the transition from the El Niño weather pattern (which contributes to global warming) to the opposite La Niña pattern (which has a cooling effect).
Visitors at Death Valley National Park – the hottest and driest place in the U.S. (Photo: WP).
Increasing temperatures are also contributing to stronger and more frequent storm systems. Warmer weather leads to increased evaporation, providing energy for tropical systems forming and intensifying in seas with above-average surface temperatures. Additionally, higher temperatures exacerbate drought conditions, which can lead to wildfires.
Climate change is driving extreme weather events that have wreaked havoc in recent weeks. In Cape Town, South Africa, thousands were evacuated due to heavy rains, strong winds, flooding, and other disasters. On July 7, heavy rains triggered landslides on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, resulting in over ten fatalities. Authorities in Japan reported more than 120 deaths during the record heatwave in Tokyo last month.
Tropical Storm Beryl set multiple meteorological records, particularly regarding its formation and intensity, such as being the strongest storm to develop in the Main Development Region (MDR) of the Atlantic before July and the earliest Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Beryl caused devastating impacts, making landfall three times within a week, first on the island nation of Grenada on July 1, followed by the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico on July 5, and finally in Texas, U.S., on July 8.
In California, U.S., over 13,000 people were evacuated on July 2-3 due to a severe wildfire known as the Thompson Fire. On July 24, the Park Fire ignited and became the fourth largest fire in the state’s history, covering over 1,600 square kilometers.
From January to the end of July 2024, the U.S. experienced 19 weather and climate events exceeding one billion dollars in damages, the second highest for the January to July period, trailing only 2023. This year alone, the U.S. has seen at least 149 fatalities from these events, with total damages exceeding 49.6 billion dollars.
