The summer months of June to August 2024 have been officially declared the hottest ever recorded globally. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, this year’s summer season surpassed the heat records of previous years.
Also Read: Earthquakes Can Trigger the Formation of Gold Nuggets in Quartz
The average global temperature during August 2024 reached 16.82°C, a huge increase from pre-industrial levels. June and August 2024 both exceeded the 1.5°C warming threshold that climate scientists have long warned about.
This temperature increase followed a string of record-breaking months, June and August were the hottest ever recorded for those months and July 2023 also saw similar extreme heat.
The average global surface temperature from June to August broke records set in 2023.
Copernicus’ analysis confirms that the summer months of June to August 2024 were the hottest ever recorded globally since measurements began in 1940.
The global average temperature during this period was 0.69 degrees Celsius above the average summer temperatures between 1991 and 2020. This beats the previous record set in 2023.
The period from September 2023 to August 2024 is now the warmest 12-month period ever documented. During this time, the average global temperature was 1.64 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels creeping worryingly close to the 1.5-degree threshold that scientists have warned about.
Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions remain as a critical factor driving this global temperature rise. These emissions are from burning fossil fuels, have been accumulating in the atmosphere for decades, trapping more heat and increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events such as droughts, heatwaves and floods.
The natural El Niño phenomenon, a cyclical warming event in the Pacific Ocean played a role in raising temperatures in 2024. While El Niño typically drives global temperatures upward, Copernicus scientists indicated that the 2024 El Niño was not as intense as previous events.
The world is yet to experience the opposite phenomenon, La Niña, which would have a cooling effect but has not begun yet. The rise in ocean temperatures is also of concern.
Outside of the polar regions, sea surface temperatures in August 2024 reached the second-highest level on record, just under 21°C.
The repercussions of these record-breaking temperatures were seen worldwide in the form of extreme weather events.
Countries like Greece saw wildfires during a drier-than-average summer across Europe. Other regions including Turkey and Russia experienced unusual flooding and heavier-than-usual rainfall.
The United States faced more rainfall than expected with areas in the eastern part of the country being lashed by Hurricane Debby, while regions in Alaska experienced cooler-than-average temperatures.
While many regions endured record-breaking temperatures, there were exceptions. Some areas such as parts of Pakistan, South America and the eastern United States experienced cooler-than-average weather in August 2024.
In contrast other areas like Australia, which was in its winter season as well as parts of China, Japan and Spain saw abnormally high temperatures for August.
Across Europe, Spain experienced its hottest August on record, while Austria also reported its warmest summer in recorded history. Finland recorded its joint hottest summer, while Switzerland saw its second-warmest summer.
Also Read: Storm Yagi Unleashes Heavy Rain in Northern Philippines
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) strongly addressed the need for urgent emission reductions to tackle the climate crisis.
The Paris Agreement of 2015, which aims to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is increasingly difficult to achieve unless reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are made worldwide.
Thirteen of the past fourteen months have seen global temperatures breach the 1.5°C threshold and although this has not yet been sustained over multiple decades.
Current average warming is estimated at 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels with many regions and ecosystems already showing the strain of increased temperatures.
The rise in temperatures has led to an increase in wildfires across Europe. Greece and other Mediterranean countries were affected, suffering from fires fueled by high temperatures and dry conditions.
Flooding was another concern in regions like western Russia and Turkey, where abnormal rainfall patterns created huge damage.
In the war-torn country of Sudan, floods in August 2024 impacted over 300,000 people causing public health challenges including the spread of cholera.
In Philippines, Taiwan and China, Typhoon Gaemi caused over 100 fatalities and displaced many people.
Warmer oceans do not just affect marine life, they also increase the likelihood of more storms and hurricanes. The impact of this warming is already being felt as seen with Hurricane Debby, which caused heavy rain in the eastern United States.
Ocean temperatures in August 2024 were hotter than all but one year in recorded history. The warming trend in the world’s oceans is likely to worsen in the coming years.
China saw temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius (104°F). In Australia, which was experiencing winter, temperatures broke national records in August with some areas recording 41.6 degrees Celsius (106.9°F).
Antarctica saw temperatures 50°F above normal.
The increasing number of temporary breaches of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit serves as a cautionary signal. Although scientists suggest that it may take 20 to 30 years of data to definitively determine when we have exceeded this limit permanently.
Also Read: Scientists Discover 8-Foot Sea Scorpions Larger than Humans
