PARIS: It is “increasingly likely” 2024 will be the hottest year on record, despite July ending a 13-month streak of monthly temperature records, the EU’s climate monitor said on Thursday.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said last month was the second warmest on record books going back to 1940, only slightly cooler than July 2023.

Between June 2023 and June 2024, each month eclipsed its own temperature record for the time of year. “The streak of record-breaking months has come to an end, but only by a whisker,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S.

Last month the global average temperature was 16.91 degrees Celsius, only 0.04C below July 2023, according to C3S’s monthly bulletin. But “the overall context hasn’t changed, our climate continues to warm,” said Burgess.

“The devastating effects of climate change started well before 2023 and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach net zero,” she said.

From January to July global temperatures were 0.70C above the 1991-2020 average. This anomaly would need to drop significantly over the rest of this year for 2024 not to be hotter than 2023 — “making it increasingly likely that 2024 is going to be the warmest year on record”, said C3S.

July 2024 was 1.48C warmer than the estimated average temperatures for the month during the period 1850-1900, before the world started to rapidly burn fossil fuels. This has translated into punishing heat for hundreds of millions of people.

The Earth experienced its two hottest days on record with global average temperatures at a virtual tie on July 22 and 23 reaching 17.6C, C3S said.

Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organis­ation said extreme heat hit hundreds of millions of people throughout July, with a domino effect felt right across society.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Judicial infighting
03 Oct, 2024

Judicial infighting

As other state institutions grow more assertive, continued failure to present a united front will increasingly endanger SC's authority.
Iranian salvo
03 Oct, 2024

Iranian salvo

THE skies over Israel and the occupied territories lit up on Tuesday evening, as a barrage of Iranian missiles tried...
Chance to play well
03 Oct, 2024

Chance to play well

THE announcement came without warning very late on Tuesday night. Merely six months since his reappointment and 11...
Constitutional courts
Updated 02 Oct, 2024

Constitutional courts

How can the govt expect any court established by it to be seen as fair and impartial?
Lebanon invasion
Updated 02 Oct, 2024

Lebanon invasion

Hezbollah is at heart a guerrilla movement, and though it may be severely degraded, its cadres on the ground are not likely to be deterred.
Painful loop
02 Oct, 2024

Painful loop

PAKISTAN’S polio situation has drastically deteriorated with the country now reporting 24 cases this year — four...