The world experienced its hottest day ever recorded on Monday, surpassing a record set just the day before, according to data from the European climate change service. This unprecedented heat comes as countries worldwide, from Japan to Bolivia to the United States, grapple with soaring temperatures.
According to The Associated Press, Copernicus, the European Union's climate monitoring service, released provisional satellite data on Wednesday showing that Monday's global average temperature exceeded Sunday's record by 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.1 degrees Fahrenheit).
Sunday's reign as the hottest day ever recorded on planet earth lasted until...Monday. pic.twitter.com/0IbDYmkG67
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) July 24, 2024
Climate scientists assert that the world is now as warm as it was 125,000 years ago, attributing this to human-caused climate change. While they cannot definitively state that Monday was the hottest day throughout that period, they note that average temperatures have not reached these levels since long before the development of agriculture.
"We are in an age where weather and climate records are frequently stretched beyond our tolerance levels, resulting in insurmountable loss of lives and livelihoods," said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
The temperature rise observed in recent decades aligns with projections made by climate scientists regarding the consequences of continued and increased fossil fuel burning by humans.
While 2024 has been exceptionally warm overall, Copernicus reported that this week's record-breaking temperatures were partly driven by an unusually warm Antarctic winter. A similar phenomenon occurred on the southern continent last year when the previous record was set in early July.
Although Copernicus' records only date back to 1940, other global measurements by US and UK government agencies extend to 1880. Considering these data and evidence from tree rings and ice cores, many scientists suggest that last year's record highs were the hottest the planet has experienced in approximately 120,000 years. The first six months of 2024 have now surpassed even those temperatures.
Christiana Figueres, former head of UN climate negotiations, warned of dire consequences if immediate action is not taken. "We all scorch and fry if the world doesn't immediately change course. One-third of global electricity can be produced by solar and wind alone, but targeted national policies have to enable that transformation," she said.
