The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that the month of July 2023 has been the hottest month globally on record. According to provisional data provided by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average temperature during July reached 16.95 degrees Celsius.
July 6 stood out as the hottest day ever recorded in recent history, with an average temperature of 17.08 degrees Celsius. However, not only that day set a record, but all the days between July 3 and 23 exceeded the previous mark of 16.8 °Cestablished on August 13, 2016.
“The weather extremes suffered by millions of people in July are nothing more than the harsh reality of climate change and a preview of what the future holds for us,” WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas said Thursday.
The monthly average of 16.95 degrees Celsius, calculated with the data collected up to July 23 —the final data for the month will be published by Copernicus on August 8—, significantly exceeds the previous record for a month, which stood at 16.63 degrees Celsius in July 2019.
According to Copernicus Climate Change Service, the first 3 weeks of July have already broken several significant records, including:
Hottest day globally;
Hottest three weeks globally.#EarlyWarningsForAll #StateOfClimate
@CopernicusECMWF pic.twitter.com/eHqw0i9fCL—World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) July 27, 2023
Chris Hewitt, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, also warned that, at this rate, it is likely May 2023 become the hottest year on recordexceeding the figures established in 2016.
WMO stressed that anthropogenic emissions, caused by human activity, are the main cause of the increase in temperatures. Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, anticipated that the next few months of 2023 could also set new heat records.
The effects of warming due to human activity were concrete in recent weeks: fires in greece and Canada, extreme temperatures in southern Europe, North Africa, USA and Chinese partwhich has also just suffered the ravages of typhoon Doksuri.
Even one of the coldest places on Earth, Antarctica, is feeling the heat. Sea ice is currently at a record low in the southern hemisphere winter, the time when the ice should soon reach its maximum extent. Meanwhile, record rains and flooding have affected South Korea, Japan, India and Pakistan.
And although other regions are having a very mild and even cool summer, as is the case these days in northern Europe or central Mexico, scientists are formal: July is the warmest month ever recorded, and even “the hottest month of all.”
Beyond modern measurements, paleoclimatological data, from tree trunk growth rings and ice cores, allow us to point out that the current temperatures “have no precedents in our history, taking into account the last thousands of years,” said Buontempo. And even “in a much longer period, probably on the order of 100,000 years,” he added at a press conference.
*Graphic: WMO
In addition, the United Nations meteorological agency warned that global average temperatures in the first and third weeks of July exceeded pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) by 1.5 °C. which is the limit considered to comply with the Paris Agreement and avoid catastrophic consequences of global warming.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, stressed the urgency of taking action to limit the increase in global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
“The era of global warming is over, now is the time for the era of global boiling. Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And this is only the beginning,” Guterres lamented to the press. “We don’t need to wait until the end of the month to find out. Unless there is a mini ice age in the next few days, July 2023 will break all records,”
Faced with this catastrophic situation, the UN Secretary General repeated his relentless calls for radical and urgent actione, lashing out once again at the fossil fuel sector: “The air is unbreathable, the heat is unbearable. And the levels of profit generated by fossil fuels and climate inaction are unacceptable.” He also urged a fair and just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
July 2023 is set to be the hottest month ever recorded.
The consequences are tragic:
Children swept away by monsoon rains.
Families running from the flames.
Workers collapsing in scorching heat.
No more hesitancy or excuses.#ClimateAction -now.
—António Guterres (@antonioguterres) July 27, 2023
“In large parts of North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, this summer is cruel. For the entire planet, it is a disaster,,, and for scientists, it is unequivocal: humans are responsible,” he insisted, noting that “the The only surprise is the speed of change. The consequences are clear and tragic: children swept away by monsoon rains, families fleeing the flames, workers fainting in the scorching heat,” Guterres said. “Leaders must lead. No more hesitating. No more making excuses. No more waiting for others to move first.”
Guterres, host of a climate summit to be held in New York in September, calls on developed countries commit to achieving carbon neutrality as close as possible to 2040and to emerging economies before 2050.
“The evidence is everywhere: humanity has unleashed destruction. This should not drive us to despair, but to action,” he added. “We can still avoid the worst. But to do so, we must turn a year of scorching heat into a year of scorching ambition,” he said.
PENGUINS DIE ON BEACH
At least five thousand penguins appeared dead on the coast of Uruguay in the last week, denounced the organization SOS Rescate Fauna Marina.
90% of the deceased are animals in the juvenile stage, which arrived without fat reserves and with an empty stomach on the coasts since last week.
Among the diet of these birds is krill, threatened by the climate change.
According to a newspaper report Guardiankrill fishing threatens the bottom of the food chain, providing iron and other nutrients that fertilize the ocean.
In addition, it is vital for the feeding of whales, penguins and seals.
We continue to prey on nature. The fragile marine ecosystems are affected every day by human activity, denounced the group.
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