The European climate monitoring entity, Copernicus Climate Change Service, has officially marked July 2023 as the Earth’s hottest month ever recorded, and by a substantial margin at that.
The global average temperature in July was 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 degrees Fahrenheit), which is a third of a degree Celsius (six tenths of a degree Fahrenheit) higher than the previous record set in 2019. Typically, global temperature records are surpassed by hundredths or a tenth of a degree, making this margin highly unusual.
This record-breaking temperature has severe implications for both people and the planet, as it contributes to an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Recent deadly heat waves in the Southwestern United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia have been attributed to human-induced climate change, resulting from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas.
Last month was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial times, surpassing the limit nations globally agreed to avoid in 2015. Furthermore, it was .7 degrees Celsius (1.3 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the average July from 1991 to 2020, and the world’s oceans were half a degree Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the previous 30 years.
This data serves as a stark reminder of the urgency and magnitude of the climate crisis. As we continue to set and break these temperature records, it is imperative that these warnings are heeded, and swift, decisive action is taken to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change.