As extreme heatwaves continue to grip the planet, July 2023 has emerged as the hottest month on record, surpassing all previous temperature records. A recent analysis by Germany’s Leipzig University has projected this month’s mean global temperature to be approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial mean.
The margin of difference between July 2023 and the previous record-holder, July 2019, is substantial, making it the unequivocal warmest July ever recorded. Even data from the European Union confirms that this year’s July will be at least 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.4 Fahrenheit) warmer than its 2019 counterpart.
Leipzig climate scientist Karsten Haustein, who conducted the analysis, highlights the unprecedented nature of the heatwave. The current global mean temperature for July typically hovers around 16 degrees Celsius (61 degrees Fahrenheit), even with the Southern Hemisphere’s winter included. However, this year, the temperature has surged to nearly 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit).
Notably, the scorching temperatures experienced this month suggest that the Earth has not witnessed such heat in at least 120,000 years. Early climate records obtained from sources like ice cores and tree rings point to this unprecedented warmth.
The analysis conducted by Haustein is based on preliminary temperature data and weather models, including forecast temperatures for the rest of July, which have been validated by independent scientists. The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also indicates that July 2023 is “extremely likely” to break records, but it awaits the finalization of all data before making an official announcement.
Climate scientists around the world emphasize that the extreme heat is a clear indicator of the effects of climate change, particularly the continued burning of fossil fuels. Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, asserts that the planet will continue to warm as long as fossil fuel consumption persists.
This year’s heatwave has affected vast regions globally. Tourists fled from wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes, while the US Southwest and many other regions experienced baking heat. Death Valley in California witnessed the hottest night ever recorded worldwide. Northwest China experienced temperatures as high as 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking national records. Canadian wildfires blazed at an unprecedented pace, and parts of Europe experienced a major heatwave.
Even Antarctica, one of the coldest places on Earth, is feeling the impact. Sea ice in the Southern Hemisphere’s winter is at a record low, far below its expected maximum extent.
Marine heatwaves have also been witnessed along coastlines, raising concerns about coral reef die-off. In addition, record rainfall and floods have caused havoc in several countries, including South Korea, Japan, India, and Pakistan.
Friederike Otto, a scientist with the Grantham Institute for Climate Change in London, points out that while global mean temperature itself might not directly harm people, it manifests in extreme weather events worldwide.
The current heatwave is further compounded by the early stages of an El Nino event, caused by unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific. El Nino typically amplifies global temperatures, exacerbating the effects of human-caused climate change.
Scientists warn that unless significant actions are taken to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, 2023 or 2024 is likely to be recorded as the hottest year ever, surpassing the previous record set in 2016. The urgency to combat climate change and its devastating impacts has never been clearer, as the world grapples with the consequences of extreme heatwaves and their far-reaching consequences.
Sources By Agencies
