July hottest month ever: Amid warning by scientists, UN chief calls for action

July is set to be the hottest month on record, with average temperatures exceeding that of July 2019 by a significant margin, as per a new analysis by scientists.

The EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) noted that these temperatures have been related to heat waves in large parts of North America, Asia and Europe, which along with wildfires in countries including Canada and Greece, have had major impacts on people’s health, environment and economies.

Data shows that the previous hottest month on record was July 2019.

The global mean surface air temperature averaged for the first 23 days of July 2023 was 16.95 degrees Celsius, according to the new analysis. This is well above the 16.63 degrees Celsius recorded for the full month of July 2019, which is currently the warmest July and the warmest month on record.

At this stage, the report said, it is virtually certain that the full monthly average temperature for July 2023 will exceed that of July 2019 by a significant margin, making it the warmest July and warmest month on record. “The extreme weather which has affected many millions of people in July is unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a foretaste of the future,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement released on Thursday (July 27).

Also read: 56% of ocean waters have changed colour due to climate change: Study

“The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever before. Climate action is not a luxury but a must,” Taalas further said.

On July 6, the daily average global mean surface air temperature surpassed the record set in August 2016, making it the hottest day on record, with July 5 and July 7 shortly behind, WMO said. According to the data, the global mean surface air temperature reached its highest daily value (17.08 degrees Celsius) on July 6, 2023.

During the first three weeks of July, global mean temperature rise temporarily exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold above preindustrial level during the first and third week of the month, according to the report. Since May, the global average sea surface temperature has been well above previously observed values for the time of the year, contributing to the exceptionally warm July, it said.

Also read: Vincent Doumeizel interview: Seaweed can be a game-changer in fight against global warming

WMO consolidates data from C3S and five other international data sets for its climate monitoring activities and State of the Climate reports. WMO predicts that there is a 98 per cent likelihood that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record and a 66 per cent chance of temporarily exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above the 1850–1900 average for at least one of the five years.

“Record-breaking temperatures are part of the trend of drastic increases in global temperatures. Anthropogenic emissions are ultimately the main driver of these rising temperatures,” Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S, said in a statement.

“July’s record is unlikely to remain isolated this year, C3S seasonal forecasts indicate that over land areas temperatures are likely to be well above average, exceeding the 80th percentile of climatology for the time of year,” Buontempo said.

Also read: Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees not possible now: Report

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on expressed concern over the alarming development and said that the Earth has passed from global warming to an “era of global boiling. While speaking to the media in New York the UN chief made a clarion call to nations to act fast and decisively. “No more hesitancy, no more excuses, no more waiting for others to move first,” Guterres said.

Referring to record high July temperatures, the UN chief attributed the “cruel summer” to human activities which have led to “destruction” of environment. “The air is unbreathable. The heat is unbearable. And the level of fossil fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable,” the UN chief said, while calling for turning it into an opportunity to inspire “action”.

The United Nations will host the Climate Ambition Summit in September.

(With Agency inputs)