PARIS: Last month marked the hottest June on record globally, according to the EU’s climate monitor, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). This unprecedented heat caps half a year of extreme weather, from floods to heatwaves.
Every month since June 2023 has broken its own temperature record in a 13-month streak of global heat, noted C3S. “This is more than a statistical oddity and highlights a significant and ongoing shift in our climate,” said C3S director, Carlo Buontempo. He warned that unless humanity reduces heat-trapping gas emissions, new records are inevitable.
The global average temperature for June surpassed the previous record set in 2023. The year’s first half has seen climate extremes worldwide. The scorching heat has affected regions from India to Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Mexico. Persistent rain, linked to a warmer planet, caused severe flooding in Kenya, China, Brazil, Afghanistan, Russia, and France. Additionally, wildfires ravaged land in Greece and Canada, and Hurricane Beryl became the earliest category-five Atlantic hurricane on record.
The streak of record-breaking temperatures coincides with El Niño, a natural phenomenon contributing to global heat, explained Julien Nicolas, a senior scientist at C3S. However, El Niño was not the sole factor; record sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, Northern Pacific, and Indian Ocean also played a role.
Sea surface temperatures hit a milestone in June, with 15 straight months of new highs. Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface and absorb 90% of the excess heat from climate-warming emissions. “What happens to the ocean surface significantly impacts air temperature and global averages,” Nicolas noted.
As the world transitions into a La Niña phase, which cools the atmosphere, global air temperatures might decrease. However, if record sea surface temperatures persist, 2024 could be warmer than 2023. Global air temperatures in the 12 months leading to June 2024 were 1.64°C above pre-industrial levels, according to Copernicus.
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