The European Union’s climate change monitor, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), has reported that summer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere were the highest ever recorded, potentially making this year the hottest ever. This data follows a season of heatwaves around the world that scientists believe were exacerbated by human-driven climate change. The deputy director of C3S, Samantha Burgess, stated that the past three months of 2024 have seen record-breaking temperatures, increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year on record. While the cyclical weather phenomenon El Nino contributed to the heat in 2023 and early 2024, its effects were not as strong as usual, and La Nina has not yet started. Despite this, certain regions like Alaska, the eastern United States, parts of South America, Pakistan, and the Sahel desert in northern Africa experienced below-average temperatures in August.
The planet’s changing climate has resulted in a series of disasters this summer, from flooding in Sudan affecting over 300,000 people to Typhoon Gaemi intensifying due to climate change and causing devastation in the Philippines, Taiwan, and China. Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are driving global warming, leading to more extreme climate events like droughts, fires, and floods. Burgess emphasized the urgent need for action to reduce emissions to prevent these events from becoming even more intense and devastating. While governments have set targets to reduce emissions in line with the Paris climate agreement’s 1.5 degrees Celsius goal, the United Nations has warned that the world is not on track to meet these goals. The average global temperature is currently 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with the 1.5 degrees threshold being breached in 13 of the past 14 months.
In June and August, global temperatures exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold, a critical level for limiting the worst effects of climate change. However, scientists note that this threshold will only be considered definitively passed if it is observed being breached over several decades. The European climate monitor reported that the average global temperature in August was 16.82 degrees Celsius (62.28 degrees Fahrenheit), based on data from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations. The continued rise in global temperatures underscores the need for immediate and significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Failure to do so will result in more frequent and severe extreme weather events with dire consequences for both people and the planet.
The ongoing trend of record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events highlights the urgency of addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The impact of human activities on the environment is evident in the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters like floods, heatwaves, and typhoons. As global temperatures continue to rise, it becomes essential for countries to fulfill their commitments to reduce emissions and limit the warming of the planet. The data from the European Union’s climate change monitor serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of inaction, urging governments and individuals to take immediate steps to mitigate climate change and protect the future of the planet.
