Monday marked a historic milestone as the hottest day ever globally, surpassing the record set just the day before, with countries like Japan, Bolivia, and the United States feeling the relentless heat, according to the European climate change service.
Provisional satellite data published by Copernicus revealed that Monday exceeded the previous day’s record by 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.1 degree Fahrenheit).
Climate scientists attribute the current warmth to human-induced climate change, comparing the temperatures to those of 125,000 years ago. This rise is consistent with projections made by climate scientists regarding increased fossil fuel consumption.
As temperatures continue to break records, the world is facing unprecedented challenges, leading to loss of lives and livelihoods, as noted by Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
Copernicus’ data indicated that the global average temperature on Monday was 17.15 degrees Celsius, or 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit, surpassing the previous record set just last year. The warmer-than-usual Antarctic winter played a significant role in pushing temperatures to new extremes this year.
Scientists warn that without intervention to combat human-induced climate change, extreme temperature records will continue to be broken at an alarming rate. Urgent action is required to shift towards sustainable energy sources like solar and wind to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
AP science writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.
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