The European monitoring program Copernicus stated that June 2024 was the warmest ever, breaking the already high record established in June 2023.
Carlo Buontempo, Director of Copernicus’ Climate Change Service (C3S) said that June 2024 marked the 13th consecutive month of record global temperatures and the 12th consecutive month with 1.5°C above pre-industrial averages (1850-1900).
“This is not a statistical incongruity, but it does demonstrate a significant and ongoing change in our climate,” remarked the expert, following a month of extreme heatwaves in India, China, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Mexico,” he added.
The head of the service further pointed out that “new records will be broken as the climate continues to warm” as a result of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
After more than a year of consecutive monthly records, “the global average temperature over the last twelve months (July 2023 – June 2024) is the highest ever recorded,” revealed Copernicus, noting a “1.64°C above the pre-industrial average for 1850-1900.”
The global temperature by the end of 2024 will be mostly determined by the temperature of the oceans, which encompass 70% of the world and have had surface water temperatures far above all criteria for over a year, according to experts.
Weather forecasters predict a modest decline in global temperatures due to the “La Niña” phenomena near the end of the year.
El Niño and La Niña are two opposing states that significantly affect global weather patterns.
During La Niña, normal winds from the east to the west become stronger, pushing warm waters to the west.
This causes a rise of cold water – or “upwell” – from the ocean’s depths, making sea surface temperatures cooler than usual in the Pacific.
El Niño is characterized by elevated sea surface temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific, higher atmospheric pressure in Darwin, Australia (western Pacific), and lower pressure in Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia (central Pacific).