Summer 2024 has been confirmed as the hottest on record by Copernicus, a European climate service. This summer’s temperatures have contributed to predictions that this year will likely be the warmest ever measured by humanity. The rise in temperatures is attributed to human-caused climate change, along with a temporary boost from El Nino, leading to extreme weather events globally.
During the northern meteorological summer (June, July, and August), the average temperature recorded was 16.8 degrees Celsius, slightly warmer than the previous record set in 2023. The records kept by Copernicus date back to 1940, while American, British, and Japanese records show that the past decade has been the hottest in about 120,000 years.
August 2024 tied with August 2023 as the hottest August globally, while July fell just short of breaking the record. However, with June 2024 being significantly hotter than June 2023, the overall summer of 2024 was deemed the hottest. Climate scientists stress that these escalating temperatures highlight the urgency of the climate crisis and its impact on the planet.
Experts, like climate scientist Stefan Rahmstorf, emphasize that the high temperatures and humidity levels experienced globally this summer point to the worsening climate crisis. The likelihood of 2024 surpassing the record set in 2023 as the hottest year is high, with predictions based on ongoing climate trends.
Despite the possibility of a La Nina event bringing temporary cooling to parts of the Pacific Ocean in the last months of the year, it may not be sufficient to prevent 2024 from breaking temperature records. The increasing temperatures are not just statistics but have real impacts on people worldwide, causing heat-related health issues, droughts, and severe weather events.
Climate scientists, including Jonathan Overpeck and Jennifer Francis, warn of the intensifying heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and extreme weather conditions due to climate change. They stress the urgent need for action to address the escalating climate crisis driven primarily by human activities. The continuous rise in temperatures and extreme weather events serve as a stark reminder of the pressing need to mitigate climate change effects for the well-being of society and the planet.
