Climate change | Earth records its hottest day in history on July 22, 2024

Arabia Weather - The Copernicus Climate Service issued a report stating that on July 22, 2024, the Earth recorded the highest global daily temperature of 17.16 degrees Celsius, exceeding the previous record of 17.09 degrees Celsius. This rise was the result of unprecedented temperatures in Antarctica and a decrease in sea ice. This number is an indication of the continuing acceleration in global warming and its impact on the planet's climate.

What is the reason for this new record for global average temperature?

According to the Copernicus Center, average global temperatures tend to reach their annual peak between late June and early August, coinciding with summer in the Northern Hemisphere. This is because the seasonal patterns of the Northern Hemisphere determine overall global temperatures. Large land masses in the Northern Hemisphere are warming faster than the Southern Hemisphere's oceans can cool during the northern summer months.

The average global temperature has already reached near record levels in recent days, just below 2023 levels, after being at record levels for this time of year for more than a year.

The analyzes suggest that the sudden rise in average daily global temperature is associated with much higher than average temperatures in large parts of Antarctica. Such large anomalies are not unusual during the winter months in Antarctica, and also contributed to record global temperatures in early July 2023.

Furthermore, the extent of sea ice in Antarctica is nearly as low as it was this time last year, resulting in well above average temperatures over parts of the Southern Ocean.

What was the previous record?

The previous highest global average daily temperature was 17.08 °C, a record set on 6 July 2023 as part of a long string of global daily record temperatures in July and August 2023. Before the long string of record global temperatures in July and August 2023 The highest global average daily temperature in the ERA5 dataset was 16.80 °C, on August 13, 2016.

Is 2024 likely to be the warmest year on record?

2024 was warm enough that it is quite possible that the entire year will be warmer than 2023, but the exceptional warmth of the last four months of 2023 makes it too early to confidently predict which year will be warmer.

God knows.

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