Climate change - Breaking the 1.5 degree mark every month for a year now
It is a troubling series - and it threatens the goal that the international community has set with the Paris Climate Agreement: June 2024 was the warmest June since recording began. It was 1.5 degrees above the estimated June average for 1850-1900, the pre-industrial reference period, according to the EU Climate Service Copernicus. This marked the twelfth consecutive month that the 1.5-degree threshold was reached or exceeded.
In the Paris Climate Agreement, Germany and many other countries set a goal at the end of 2015 to keep global warming significantly below two degrees, preferably 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial period. However, it is about the average temperature over longer periods, not individual months or years.
An officially agreed definition of what exactly is meant by crossing the 1.5-degree threshold has not been agreed upon yet. Many climate experts assume that the 1.5-degree threshold has already been exceeded.
According to Copernicus data, the global temperature from July 2023 to June 2024 was 1.64 degrees above the pre-industrial average. Every single month in the past year has been the warmest on record worldwide. Such a record series is "certainly unusual, but a similar series of monthly global temperature records had already occurred in the years 2015/2016," Copernicus stated.
The average surface air temperature in June was 16.66 degrees. This was 0.67 degrees above the June average of 1991-2020 and 0.14 degrees above the previous June 2023 record.
Europe: Especially southeastern regions warm
The European average temperature in June 2024 exceeded the average for June months from 1991-2020 by 1.57 degrees. This made it the second warmest June on record in Europe, it was stated. It was particularly hot in the southeastern part of the continent and in Turkey, while temperatures in Western Europe, Iceland, and northwestern Russia were close to or below the average.
In Iceland, central Europe, and large parts of southwestern Europe, June was wetter than average, it continued. "Heavy rainfall led to flooding in several regions of Germany, Italy, France, and Switzerland," it was further stated.
Outside Europe, temperatures were above average in eastern Canada, the western USA, Mexico, Brazil, northern Siberia, the Middle East, North Africa, and the western Antarctic.
Further records due to climate warming
"This is more than just a statistical curiosity, but it illustrates a large and ongoing climate change," explained Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo. "Even when this special series of extremes ends, we will inevitably experience new records if the climate continues to warm. This is unavoidable if we do not stop emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the oceans."
In addition to the temperature records, the natural weather phenomenon El Niño could have contributed to this. It causes an increase in water temperatures in parts of the Pacific and higher air temperatures.
The Copernicus Climate Service of the European Union regularly publishes data on surface temperature, sea ice, and precipitation from the European Earth observation programme. These insights are based on computer-generated analyses that incorporate billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide. The data used go back to the year 1950, with some earlier data also available.
- The international community, including countries like Great Britain and Germany, are concerned about the rising temperatures, as June 2024 set a new temperature record, surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold set in the Climate Protection Agreement in Paris.
- In the context of this climate change, Iceland and other regions of Europe are experiencing uncommon weather patterns, with June 2024 being unusually warm and Iceland experiencing more precipitation than average.
- The European Union, through its Climate Service Copernicus, has reported that the average temperature in Europe during June 2024 was the second-highest on record, with significant heatwaves in the southeastern parts and Turkey.
- climate change and records continue to break around the world, as other parts of the globe like eastern Canada, the western US, and Brazil also experienced unusually high temperatures throughout 2023-2024.
- In alignment with these climate changes, international cooperation in addressing climate change is crucial, as countries need to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change on various regions across the globe.
- As part of its efforts, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Service regularly provides data on surface temperature, sea ice, and precipitation, helping scientists, policymakers, and the public understand the changing climate and its consequences.
