August 2024 warmest on record globally and 2024 on track to be warmest in history

Arab Weather - August 2024 was the warmest month on record globally, tied with August 2023, according to ERA5 data. The average surface air temperature was 16.82°C, 0.71°C above the 1991-2020 average. This increase reflects a continuation of the upward trend in global temperatures, making it the thirteenth consecutive month in which the Earth's temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Summer 2024: Hottest on record

The period from June to August 2024 will be the hottest in Northern Hemisphere summer history, with an average temperature that was 0.69°C above the 1991–2020 normal. This record surpasses the previous summer of 2023, which was 0.66°C warmer. This series of record-breaking temperatures increases the likelihood that 2024 will be the hottest year on record.

Warnings of the effects of climate change

“The extreme weather events we have seen in the summer of 2024 make it more likely that this will be the hottest year on record,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). “Without urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, disasters linked to extreme heat will become even more devastating.” These events have included wildfires in southern Europe and flooding in parts of the continent, reflecting major changes in global weather patterns.

Europe: Climate Variation Between Heat, Drought and Floods

In Europe, temperatures in August 2024 were 1.57°C above the 1991-2020 average, making it the second warmest August on record after August 2022. Southern and eastern Europe were most affected by the heat, while northwestern parts, such as Ireland, the UK and Iceland, were cooler than average. Drought and wildfires also hit large parts of southern Europe, including the Alps and the Balkans, while areas such as Ireland, the north of the UK and Iceland saw above-average rainfall, causing some localized flooding.

Sea ice retreats to critical levels

In the Arctic, sea ice extent in August 2024 was 17% below the 1991–2020 average, the fourth lowest since satellite records began 46 years ago. In Antarctica, sea ice area continued to decline, falling 7% below average, the second-lowest August extent after the record set in August 2023.

2024 on track to be warmest year on record

As record-breaking temperatures continue, 2024 looks set to be the warmest year on record. So far, the average temperature for the period from January to August 2024 has been 0.70°C warmer than the 1991-2020 average, surpassing the same period in 2023. This temperature anomaly poses a major climate challenge to the world, requiring an urgent response from international communities to address the effects of global warming and accelerating climate change.