The Northern Hemisphere has just experienced its hottest summer on record since at least 1940, even surpassing last year's record-breaking season, according to the European Union's Climate and Weather Data Centre. Copernicus Climate Change Service.
“The extreme temperature-related events we have witnessed this summer will only intensify.”
Scorching temperatures so far this year also put 2024 on track to be the hottest year on record. It started in 1850which could knock 2023 off the top spot. Temperatures have been rising steadily since greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels soared with the Industrial Revolution, showing a clear trend in the data.
“The extreme temperature-related events we have witnessed this summer will only become more intense, with more devastating consequences for people and the planet, unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, in a statement. statement today.
Image: Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF
And when people can't cool off, heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke and even death. Heat-related deaths have been on the rise in the U.S. since 2016, peaking at 2,325 documented last year. This is a problem felt around the world. This June, at least 1,300 people died During the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, temperatures reached 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).
Even compared to more recent years, this summer was hot. Global average temperatures between June and August were 0.69 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991-2020 average. Every fraction of a degree matters, as climate change can have much more pronounced impacts at the local level.