Global Hottest Day on Record: July 3rd Breaks Temperature Records Worldwide
According to data released by the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction, Monday, July 3rd, has officially become the hottest day ever recorded on a global scale. The average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record set in August 2016 at 16.92 degrees Celsius (62.46 Fahrenheit), as scorching heatwaves swept across different regions.
Several parts of the world have been enduring extreme heat in recent weeks. The southern United States has been grappling with an intense heat dome, while China continues to experience a persistent heatwave with temperatures soaring above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). North Africa has also witnessed temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).
Even Antarctica, currently in its winter season, has observed unusually high temperatures. Ukraine’s Vernadsky Research Base, located in the Argentine Islands of the icy continent, recently broke its July temperature record, reaching 8.7 degrees Celsius (47.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
However, this alarming milestone in global temperatures is not a cause for celebration, as emphasized by climate scientist Friederike Otto from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London. Otto stated, “It’s a death sentence for people and ecosystems.”
Scientists attribute this record-breaking heat to the combined effects of climate change and the emerging El Nino pattern. Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, warned that unfortunately, this is likely just the beginning of a series of new temperature records to be set this year due to rising carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, coupled with the intensifying El Nino event.
The unprecedented heat levels worldwide serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for global action to mitigate climate change and its disastrous consequences..
July 3: Earth Experiences Hottest Day On Recordhttps://t.co/44IFRHoOqf pic.twitter.com/vsH3cl9etg
— Forbes (@Forbes) July 4, 2023