It is alarming to note that July 2023 has etched its place in history as Earth’s hottest month on record. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, a division of the European Union’s space program, recently confirmed that July’s global average temperature surpassed all previous records by a significant margin. With dire consequences looming and extreme weather events becoming more frequent, it is evident that urgent action is needed to combat the effects of human-caused climate change.
July 2023 saw a global average temperature of 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by a third of a degree Celsius (six tenths of a degree Fahrenheit). It is worth noting that previous temperature records are typically broken by much smaller increments, making this margin of increase highly unusual. These startling numbers are further proof that our planet is warming at an alarming rate.
According to Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the repercussions of these record-breaking temperatures are profound. We find ourselves grappling with increasingly frequent and intense extreme events that pose significant risks to both human lives and the well-being of our planet. This year alone, regions such as the Southwestern United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia have experienced deadly heatwaves. Scientific studies have attributed these events to the human-driven release of greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
A striking feature of July 2023 was the prolonged duration of extreme heat. Record-breaking temperatures were recorded consecutively from July 2 onwards, prompting an unusual early announcement from Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization that the month was on track to become the hottest on record. These predictions have now been confirmed, highlighting the urgency of addressing the underlying causes of climate change.
The global temperature in July 2023 was a staggering 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial levels. This deviation stands in stark contrast to the international commitment made in 2015 to limit long-term warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Furthermore, last month’s temperature was 0.7 degrees Celsius (1.3 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than the average recorded between 1991 and 2020. The implications of these deviations are far-reaching and demand immediate attention.
The impact of soaring temperatures extends beyond land. The world’s oceans experienced an increase of half a degree Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to the previous 30-year average. Notably, the North Atlantic registered a temperature rise of 1.05 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) above average. The repercussions are evident in the record-low levels of sea ice observed in Antarctica, which were 15% lower than the average for this time of year.
While the records maintained by the Copernicus Climate Change Service span back to 1940, comparisons with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s records that date back to 1850 reveal an even more striking reality. Climate scientist Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research notes that July 2023 is not merely the hottest month in recorded history but also the warmest in the past ten thousand years. Taking into account the extended time frame before the Holocene Epoch and the preceding ice age, one can argue that these temperatures have not been witnessed for 120,000 years.
July 2023’s record-breaking heat serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change. No longer can we view these events as isolated records; they are clear indicators of a changing climate that our societies are ill-equipped to handle.
Market Capital Research 