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Sunday, July 21, was the warmest day in recorded history, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
The daily global average temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius, slightly surpassing the previous record of 17.08 degrees, set on July 6, 2023.
The highest value recorded until then was 16.8 degrees Celsius in 2016. That level was exceeded 57 times, in July and August 2023, and June and July this year.
“What is truly staggering is how large the difference is between the temperature of the last 13 months and the previous temperature records. We are now in truly uncharted territory and as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years,” said C3S Director Carlo Buontempo.
The ten highest daily temperatures have been recorded in the past ten years
Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has caused extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere. The record daily average temperature was measured amid heatwaves that affected parts of the United States and Europe.
All ten highest daily temperatures have been recorded in the past ten years, since 2015, which is another sign of a global warming trend. The difference between the 2016 record and the lowest level on the top ten list (from 2015) is 0.2 degrees, and between the new record and the 2016 record, it is nearly 0.3 degrees, highlighting how intense the heat has been in 2023 and 2034.
The sudden rise in daily global average temperature is linked to temperatures significantly above average in large parts of Antarctica, according to C3S analysis. Such large anomalies are not unusual during the winter months on the southernmost continent. They also contributed to record-high global temperatures in early July 2023.
Additionally, the sea ice extent around Antarctica is almost as low as it was a year ago, leading to much higher than average air temperatures over parts of the Southern Ocean.
Every month from June 2023 to July 2024 has been ranked the hottest on the planet since measurements began
Following the record heat of 2023, last June was again the hottest in history and the 13th consecutive hottest month. Every month from June 2023 to July 2024 has been ranked as the hottest on the planet since measurements began, compared to the corresponding month in previous years.
Some scientists estimate that 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record, due to climate change and the natural meteorological phenomenon El Niño, which ended in April.
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