World records hottest day on July 21, monitor reports
Passersby holding umbrellas walk under a strong sunlight at the Sensoji temple as Japanese government issued heat stroke alerts in 39 of the country's 47 prefectures in Tokyo, Japan July 22, 2024. (Issei Kato via REUTERS)
Sunday marked the hottest day ever recorded, according to preliminary data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The global average surface air temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record of 17.08 degrees Celsius set last July.
This new record comes as heat waves continue to scorch vast regions of the United States, Europe and Russia.
Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus service, indicated that this record might not stand for long. “When you have these peaks, they tend to cluster together,” he noted, suggesting the possibility that the beginning of this week could see even higher temperatures. Last year, a similar pattern occurred with four consecutive days of record-breaking heat from July 3 through July 6.
Climate change driving extreme heat
Buontempo highlighted the significant deviation in temperatures over the past 13 months compared to previous records. Since June 2023, every month has ranked as the planet’s hottest since record-keeping began, illustrating the ongoing impact of climate change.
Scientists warn that 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record due to the combined effects of climate change and the El Nino natural weather phenomenon, which ended in April.
“As a consequence of the increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we are bound to see new records being broken in the next few months, in the next few years,” Buontempo said.
Environmental advocates have long urged global leaders and wealthier nations to phase out fossil fuels to mitigate the catastrophic effects of climate change, including intensified heatwaves. The consistent rise in global temperatures underscores the urgent need for comprehensive climate action.
