Last month marked the hottest July ever recorded, setting the fourteenth consecutive monthly temperature record, according to a report released by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The agency also warned that 2024 now has a 77% chance of becoming the hottest year on record. NOAA’s data, which spans 175 years, indicates that 2024 is almost certain to rank among the five hottest years ever recorded.
Conversely, the European Copernicus agency, which uses a different set, noted that July of this year was slightly cooler than July 2023. Despite the differences in results, both agencies agree on the severity of the ongoing climate crisis, as each month during the past year experienced exceptional temperature highs.
July was particularly characterized by a series of intense heat waves across the Mediterranean and Gulf regions. Africa, Europe and Asia all experienced their hottest July on record, while North America recorded its second hottest.
Last year, 2023, which had already been declared the hottest year on record; Morocco reached a record temperature of 50.4°C in August, the highest temperature to ever be reliably recorded in the country.
As global temperatures continue to rise, scientists and environmental experts stress the urgent need for comprehensive action to mitigate the ongoing effects of climate change.
Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) highlighted: “The devastating effects of climate change started well before 2023 and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach net-zero.”