Monday witnessed a new record as the hottest day ever, surpassing the previous day’s record, with countries worldwide experiencing extreme heat, according to the European climate change service. Read more.
Initial satellite data released by Copernicus on Wednesday showed that Monday’s temperature exceeded the previous day’s record by 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.1 degree Fahrenheit).
Climate experts suggest that the current global warming is equivalent to temperatures from 125,000 years ago due to human-induced climate change. The recent rise in temperatures aligns with climate projections based on increased use of fossil fuels.
Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, expressed concern over the frequent breaking of weather and climate records leading to significant loss of lives and livelihoods.
According to Copernicus’ preliminary data, the global average temperature on Monday was 17.15 degrees Celsius, or 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit. This marks a new record, surpassing the previous year’s record and the 2016 record.
The unusually warm Antarctic winter this year contributed to pushing the global temperatures to new heights. Copernicus notes similar occurrences in the southern continent last year.
Although Copernicus records go back to 1940, global measurements by other governments date back further, with many scientists identifying last year as the hottest period in about 120,000 years. The first six months of 2024 have broken even those records.
Scientists attribute the frequent breaking of extreme temperature records in recent years to human-induced climate change. Christiana Figueres, former head of U.N. climate negotiations, emphasized the urgent need for policy changes to transition to renewable energy sources.
AP science writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.
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