Climate Change: The world just experienced its hottest summer on record

CNN
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As heatwaves continue to batter parts of the world, scientists report that this brutal and deadly summer was the hottest on record – and by a wide margin.

The period from June to August was the warmest period on Earth since records began in 1940, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The average global temperature this summer was 16.77°C (62.19°F), according to Copernicus, which is 0.66°C higher than the average from 1990 to 2020 – surpassing the previous record, set in August 2019, by about 0.3°C. .

These records, which track average air temperature around the world, are typically broken by hundredths of a degree.

This is the first set of scientific data to confirm what many thought was inevitable. It was a Extremely hot summer For areas of the Northern Hemisphere – including parts of the United States, Europe and… Japan – With record heat waves and unprecedented ocean temperatures.

Watch this interactive content on CNN.com

The planet has seen it June is the hottest month on recordfollowed by Hottest July -Both broke previous records by large margins.

August was also the warmest month on record, according to new Copernicus data, and was warmer than any other month this year except July. The average global temperature for the month was 16.82 degrees Celsius, 0.31 degrees warmer than the previous record set in 2016.

“Summer days are when dogs don’t just bark, they bite,” António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said in a statement about the Copernicus data. Scientists have long warned of what our addiction to fossil fuels will unleash. Our climate is collapsing faster than we can handle extreme weather events hitting every corner of the planet.

July and August are estimated to have been 1.5 degrees warmer than pre-industrial levels, according to Copernicus. Major threshold Scientists have long warned that the world must stay underground to prevent the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

As scientists focus more on long-term global warming, these temporary breaches represent an important preview of what the world can expect summer to look like. At 1.5 degrees of warming.

“The Northern Hemisphere has just experienced a summer full of extremes – with frequent heatwaves Fueling devastating forest fires“Floods harm health, disrupt daily life and cause permanent damage to the environment,” Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, said in a statement.

Southern Hemisphere countries have also experienced surprisingly warm winters, with temperatures well above average in Australia. Several countries in South America And Antarctica.

Global average ocean temperatures were as well Off the chartsWhich helps to strengthen Major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean Hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean.

In July, a sudden marine heat wave off the coast of Florida sent it into the ocean Hot tub temperatures.. While parts of the North Atlantic Ocean witnessed in June An “absolutely unprecedented” marine heatwave. With water temperatures up to 5°C (9°F) hotter than normal.

Every day from the end of July to the end of August sees ocean temperatures exceed the previous record set in 2016, according to Copernicus.

It’s not yet clear whether this will be the warmest year on record on Earth, but it certainly seems like it will get very close.

With four months remaining until the end of the year, 2023 is currently classified as the second hottest year ever, according to Copernicus, by only 0.01 degrees Celsius compared to 2016, which is currently the warmest year ever.

Scientists say next year It will likely be hotterDue to the arrival of the El Niño phenomenon, which is a natural climate fluctuation that causes sea surface temperatures to be higher than average and affects the weather.

“This El Niño is developing in a warmer ocean than any previous El Niño, so we are watching with interest how this event develops in terms of strength and impact,” Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, told CNN.

Burgess said the summer was full of record breaking numbers, and it will get worse if the world continues to burn fossil fuels that are heating the planet.

“The scientific evidence is overwhelming – we will continue to see more climate records and more severe and frequent extreme weather events impacting society and ecosystems, until we stop emitting greenhouse gases,” she said in a statement.