- Second-coldest July since records began
Global Temperature Reaches Second-Highest Level in July
The global temperature in the past July reached the second-highest level ever recorded. The month was 1.48 degrees Celsius above the estimated July average for 1850 to 1900, the pre-industrial reference period, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union. Only last July was warmer.
To determine the temperature, billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations around the world are combined. The average surface air temperature in July was 16.91 degrees - just 0.04 degrees less than the record temperature from last year.
End of Record Streak
From June 2023 to June 2024, Copernicus announced a new record high every month. This 13-month record streak has now ended - "but by a hair's breadth," emphasizes Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess.
"The overall picture hasn't changed, our climate continues to warm," she says. "The devastating impacts of climate change have been underway for decades and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach zero."
Hottest Days
The natural weather phenomenon El Niño could have contributed to these temperature records. It occurs every few years, causing an increase in sea temperatures in parts of the Pacific and higher air temperatures. Copernicus reports that its counterpart, La Niña, is currently developing.
Despite the slight decrease for the whole month, the warmest days ever recorded were observed in July: On July 22 and 23, the global average temperatures were 17.16 and 17.15 degrees, respectively. Since this small difference is within the uncertainty factor of the data, it cannot be said with certainty which day was the hottest ever, according to Copernicus.
Europe: Not So Warm in Northwest
In Europe, the average temperature in July exceeded the average for the July months from 1991 to 2020 by 1.49 degrees. This makes it the second-warmest July on record in Europe. While it was average or even cooler than usual in Northwest Europe, the south and east of Europe experienced above-average temperatures.
The Commission, being part of the European Union, released the data indicating that July was the second-highest temperature recorded, with the data collected by the Commission's Copernicus Climate Change Service. The Commission has emphasized that despite the end of the record streak, the overall picture of climate change remains unchanged, with devastating impacts continuing until global greenhouse gas emissions reach zero.
