This summer has officially earned the title of the hottest summer on record, as reported by the European Union Climate Change Service on Wednesday.
From June through August, temperatures soared to an average of 62.2 Fahrenheit, surpassing previous records by a significant margin — 33 degrees Fahrenheit above the norm. Breaking down the heatwave further, August not only clinched the hottest August ever recorded worldwide but also marked the third consecutive month of record-breaking temperatures, following a scorching June and July.
These findings underscore the urgency of the Paris international climate change agreement’s central goal: to limit the global temperature increase to 34.7 degrees Fahrenheit — a mission embraced by 196 nations in 2015.
The sweltering statistics have made the northern hemisphere’s summer the hottest since records began in 1940, with no signs of cooling down.
“Global temperature records continue to tumble in 2023,” said Samantha Burgess, Copernicus deputy head. “The scientific evidence is overwhelming. We will continue to see more climate records and more intense and frequent extreme weather events impacting society and ecosystems until we stop emitting greenhouse gases.”
Adding to the alarming trend, the global ocean recently registered its highest daily surface temperature on record and recorded its hottest month overall. As we enter the final stretch of 2023, this year is on track to becoming the second-hottest on record, trailing only slightly behind 2016. But experts warn that could change within the coming months.
