In just six days, the month of July has already witnessed the shattering of global heat records not once, not twice, but an astounding three times.
There is no mistaking the trend we're seeing: The planet is warming, and we're seeing global average heat records falling left and right, leaving no doubt about the severity of the heatwave gripping our planet.
Wednesday tied Tuesday for the hottest global average temperature ever recorded. This means that the first three days of this week collectively became the hottest on record. Adding to this trend, June 2023 has now been confirmed as the hottest June ever recorded, surpassing previous records by a substantial margin.
What's even more concerning is that out of the last ten years, nine of them have experienced the hottest Junes on record, "over 0.5°C ( 0.9°F) above average," according to theEuropean Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. It's not just the air temperatures that are affected; the report stated that ocean surface temperatures in June were also the warmest ever recorded. All of these extreme temperature patterns can be attributed to both human-caused climate change and the El Nino weather pattern.
Global temperature soars to record highs on July 4
Decades of data shows the Earth had its hottest day ever recorded on Tuesday amid a year of record heat.
The trend of record-breaking temperatures began earlier this week when a new global average was set on Monday, reaching a temperature of 62.62 degrees Fahrenheit. Just a day later, that record was broken again, reaching a temperature of 62.92. Finally, on Wednesday, the same temperature was recorded, tying the previous day's record.
To put things into perspective, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that the average global temperature during the 20th century was 57 degrees. This suggests that these recent records may represent the lower bounds of temperatures we can expect in the foreseeable future, highlighting the urgency of addressing climate change.
TheWorld Meteorological Organization says the Caribbean and Latin America are feeling the brunt of the heat rise. They're seeing the highest temperature rate increases ever recorded, and the heat is intensifying hurricanes like Fiona, which caused more than two billion dollars in damages in Puerto Rico last year.
The National Weather Service satellite shows the Upper Plains and Rockies in the mid-70s, with temperatures hovering in the mid- to upper-90s.
While it is summer, we've seen non-stop heat waves for weeks that have led to all of these records and deaths.
Orange heat advisories are also popping up in New England, with values of 95 to 99 degrees. Temperatures from Syracuse, New York, across to Bangor, Maine, are pushing heat indexes above or near 100. And in the Southwest, excessive heat warnings in Phoenix went up to 113.
This is an indication that we're seeing extended heat waves in places where they shouldn't be, and the key to it is the oceans. They are a critical cooling source for the planet, but they can't cool anything down as they also heat up.
