On July 21, the Earth experienced its hottest day ever recorded, according to preliminary data released by the EU’s climate monitor on Tuesday.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that the global average surface air temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on that day, setting a new record in their historical data, which begins in 1940.
This record comes amid severe heatwaves and wildfires causing significant damage across Europe and the United States. The monitor stated, “The Earth has just experienced its warmest day.”
The new temperature record surpasses the previous high of 17.08 degrees Celsius recorded on July 6, 2023, by a margin of just 0.01 degrees. Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S, noted, “On July 21st, C3S recorded a new record for the daily global mean temperature. We are now in truly uncharted territory, and as the climate continues to warm, new records are likely to be set in the future.”
Buontempo highlighted that while the increase above the previous record was minimal, the ongoing pattern of unprecedented global heat over the past 13 months is “truly staggering.” Since June 2023, each month has set a new temperature record compared to the same month in previous years.
Given the current context and the peak of the northern hemisphere summer, Copernicus indicated that it was “not completely unexpected” for this new daily high to be surpassed. The monitor suggested that this record might be broken by the extreme heat experienced earlier this week, pointing to a trend of record-breaking temperatures in July and August 2023.
While global temperatures are expected to peak and then decline, fluctuations are anticipated in the coming weeks, according to Copernicus.
Climate change is leading to longer, more intense, and more frequent extreme weather events, including heatwaves and floods. This year has seen major disasters worldwide, with deadly heatwaves affecting North America, Mexico, India, and Thailand, and flooding devastating parts of East Africa, China, and Brazil.
Wildfires are currently raging across southern and eastern Europe, Canada, and the United States, exacerbated by prolonged high temperatures that have created tinder-dry conditions.
The primary driver of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, yet emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases continue to rise despite international efforts to transition to clean energy and mitigate temperature increases.
