July 2023: The Hottest Month in Recorded History, and Likely in Over 120,000 Years, Say Scientists
We are stepping into a disturbing reality, where climate change is no longer a distant threat, but an immediate concern. Blistering temperatures are sweeping across three continents, and oceanic heat levels are reaching unprecedented heights. As we grapple with these changes, scientists bring to light a startling fact – July 2023 is on track to be the hottest month ever recorded. In this article, we delve deeper into this alarming revelation, shedding light on the details of this pressing issue.
Record-Breaking Heat
The severity of the heat experienced in July is extreme. So much so, it’s “virtually certain” to shatter previous records by a significant margin. This alarming prediction comes from a report by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization. They’ve been closely monitoring the average air temperature throughout July. In the first 23 days alone, the temperature reached a staggering 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 Fahrenheit). This figure already surpasses the previous record set in July 2019, which stood at 16.63 degrees Celsius (61.93 Fahrenheit).
Hottest Temperatures in Human History
The data used to track these records dates back to 1940. However, many scientists, including those at Copernicus, assert that it’s almost certain these temperatures are the warmest the planet has seen in 120,000 years. This is based on millennia of climate data extracted from tree rings, coral reefs, and deep-sea sediment cores. “These are the hottest temperatures in human history,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director at Copernicus.
The Human Toll of the Heat
The human impact of the heat is stark. As temperatures have risen above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) in parts of the US, heat-related deaths have increased, and people are suffering life-threatening burns from falling onto scorching hot ground. In the Mediterranean, more than 40 people have died as wildfires, fueled by high temperatures, rage across the region. In Asia, prolonged, intense heat waves are claiming lives and threatening food security.
Climate Change: The Main Driver
Human-caused climate change is the main driver of this extraordinary heat, Burgess said. “The global air temperature is directly proportional to the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” A recent study found that climate change played an “absolutely overwhelming” role in the heat waves in the US, China, and southern Europe this summer.
To put it simply, the declaration of July as the hottest month is just one in a series of alarming records set this summer. Records are not just being broken, but shattered repeatedly. As Burgess points out, “Seven months into 2023, almost every month has landed in the top five hottest on record.” If these trends persist through fall and winter, 2023 could rank among the warmest years ever recorded. This stark reality underscores the urgent need for decisive action. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change head-on.
