Sunday, July 21, will officially be the warmest day ever recorded on Earth, according to preliminary data from the European Union’s Copernicus programme. Reuters reported that the average surface temperature on Sunday was 17.09 degrees Celsius.
That put the temperature just slightly above the previous record set in July 2023, which was 17.08 degrees that month. Last year, the record was broken for four consecutive days, from July 3 to 6, when climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, brought extreme heat to the Northern Hemisphere. Heat waves have hit large parts of the United States, Europe and Russia over the past week.
Record after record
Remarkably, thirteen records have been broken for the warmest month (compared to the same month in other years) on Earth ever, according to Copernicus. The records have been compiled since June 2023.
Some scientists say 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record, as climate change and the natural El Niño phenomenon — which ended in April — have pushed temperatures even higher this year.
