EU scientists declare: "Second-hottest July" interrupts 13-month record streak
EU scientists report that the second-hottest July has ended a streak of 13 consecutive months of record temperatures.
TroibNews 
On Thursday, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service released a report identifying July as the second-warmest July ever recorded globally. This period marks the end of a streak where the previous 13 months each set a new record for high temperatures, influenced in part by a strengthening El Nino.
According to the report, temperatures in July 2024 were 1.48 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial average defined from 1850 to 1990. The temperatures over the past year averaged 1.64 degrees Celsius above this reference period, a consequence attributed to ongoing climate change.
The report noted the occurrence of the two hottest days ever recorded within the month. Copernicus pointed to emissions from fossil fuel industries as a primary driver of the high temperatures, also highlighting unusual temperature rises in oceans typically unaffected by El Nino.
"This El Nino has ended, but this magnitude of global temperature rises. The big picture is quite similar to where we were a year ago," said Julien Nicolas, a climate researcher at Copernicus.
Regions experiencing above-average temperatures included southern and eastern Europe, the western United States, western Canada, most of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and eastern Antarctica. In contrast, cooler conditions were reported in northwestern Europe, western Antarctica, certain areas in the United States, South America, and Australia.
Further climate anomalies noted in the report included higher rainfall than average in northern Europe and southeastern Turkey and continued drought conditions in southern and eastern Europe.
On a different note, Arctic sea ice declined to 7 percent below average – a significant reduction, though not as dramatic as the 14 percent decrease seen in 2020. Antarctic sea ice also continued to shrink, recording its second-lowest extent for July at 11 percent below average.
Marine heat remained considerably high globally, with July's sea temperatures just 0.1 C cooler compared to the same month last year, thus concluding a continuous record-setting trend over the previous 15 months.
"What we saw was surprising in terms of how much warmer it has been. That raises the question of what is happening to the ocean outside this natural climate pattern like El Nino or La Nina events. Are there shifts in the ocean currents?" Nicolas remarked.
(Cover image via CFP)
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
According to the report, temperatures in July 2024 were 1.48 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial average defined from 1850 to 1990. The temperatures over the past year averaged 1.64 degrees Celsius above this reference period, a consequence attributed to ongoing climate change.
The report noted the occurrence of the two hottest days ever recorded within the month. Copernicus pointed to emissions from fossil fuel industries as a primary driver of the high temperatures, also highlighting unusual temperature rises in oceans typically unaffected by El Nino.
"This El Nino has ended, but this magnitude of global temperature rises. The big picture is quite similar to where we were a year ago," said Julien Nicolas, a climate researcher at Copernicus.
Regions experiencing above-average temperatures included southern and eastern Europe, the western United States, western Canada, most of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and eastern Antarctica. In contrast, cooler conditions were reported in northwestern Europe, western Antarctica, certain areas in the United States, South America, and Australia.
Further climate anomalies noted in the report included higher rainfall than average in northern Europe and southeastern Turkey and continued drought conditions in southern and eastern Europe.
On a different note, Arctic sea ice declined to 7 percent below average – a significant reduction, though not as dramatic as the 14 percent decrease seen in 2020. Antarctic sea ice also continued to shrink, recording its second-lowest extent for July at 11 percent below average.
Marine heat remained considerably high globally, with July's sea temperatures just 0.1 C cooler compared to the same month last year, thus concluding a continuous record-setting trend over the previous 15 months.
"What we saw was surprising in terms of how much warmer it has been. That raises the question of what is happening to the ocean outside this natural climate pattern like El Nino or La Nina events. Are there shifts in the ocean currents?" Nicolas remarked.
(Cover image via CFP)
Olivia Brown for TROIB News
