Preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates that Sunday, July 21, was the hottest day ever recorded globally. The global average surface air temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius, slightly surpassing the previous record of 17.08°C set in July of the previous year. Over the past week, heatwaves have affected vast areas of the United States, Europe, and Russia. Copernicus confirmed to Reuters that the previous daily temperature average record, set last year, was exceeded on Sunday. Last year, from July 3 to July 6, there were four consecutive days that broke the record, driven by climate change resulting from the burning of fossil fuels and extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere. Copernicus reports that every month since June 2023, a total of 13 consecutive months, has been the hottest on record compared to previous years. Some scientists predict that 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record, influenced by climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon, which concluded in April, leading to higher temperatures this year.
Text: Lara Palmer
23.07.2024
Copernicus data shows unprecedented heatwaves and continuous temperature records