On Sunday, Earth recorded its hottest day ever, as confirmed by Copernicus. The global average temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record of 17.08 degrees Celsius set on July 6, 2023. Both records significantly exceeded the earlier high of 16.8 degrees Celsius from 2016.
This record heat, driven by human-caused climate change, would be far less frequent without industrial activities. Sunday’s extreme temperature was largely due to an unusually warm Antarctic winter, mirroring last year’s pattern. Additionally, California faced triple-digit heat, exacerbating wildfires, while Europe endured a deadly heat wave.
July is typically the hottest month globally, influenced by Northern Hemisphere landmasses. Copernicus data spans back to 1940, with other records dating to 1880. Scientists believe these recent highs are the warmest in about 120,000 years.
The primary culprits are climate change from fossil fuel burning and livestock agriculture. Contributing factors include a natural El Nino, now ended, and reduced marine pollution. Scientists expect a cooling La Nina to follow, possibly preventing further records this year, but 2024 remains on track to be hotter than last year.
