'Hottest Temperatures in 12,000 Yrs', 'Global Boiling, Not Warming': Why Has July Worried the World?

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has declared that the era of global warming has come to an end, giving way to the alarming era of “global boiling.”

As scientists confirm July’s trajectory towards becoming the hottest month ever recorded, Guterres emphasizes that climate change is now a terrifying reality. The burning of fossil fuels has driven global temperatures to unprecedented levels, resulting in extreme weather events and environmental disruptions.

Humanity’s role in this crisis is unequivocal, with Guterres urging immediate and drastic climate action. He called upon world leaders to lead by example, leaving no room for hesitancy or excuses, as the consequences of inaction are devastating, as per a report by The Guardian.

Why Has July Gotten Everyone Worried?

July has been exceptionally hot, with scientists predicting it will be the hottest month ever recorded globally and likely the warmest in human civilization’s history. The World Meteorological Organization and the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirm that July’s heat has surpassed all previous records, temporarily surpassing the key warming threshold of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This extreme heat has led to heatwaves affecting North America, Europe, and Asia, with devastating consequences such as floods, wildfires, and extreme weather events.

The alarming rise in temperatures signals the urgent need for action to combat climate change. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasizes the gravity of the situation, calling for stronger efforts to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions from rich nations and worldwide. He asserts that climate change is terrifyingly real and marks the end of the era of global warming, giving way to the era of “global boiling.”

What Caused Such a Hot July?

Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo and other scientists attribute the record-breaking temperatures to human-caused climate change, intensified by a natural El Nino event in the central Pacific, which affects global weather patterns. However, they were surprised by the significant ocean warming in the Atlantic, independent of El Nino, indicating complex factors at play. The climate has shown unprecedented behavior, with extreme ocean temperatures and a record loss of sea ice in Antarctica.

According to Copernicus calculations, the average Earth temperature for the first 23 days of July was 16.95 degrees Celsius, nearly one-third of a degree Celsius hotter than the previous record set in July 2019. This significant deviation from typical records, which usually differ by hundredths or tenths of a degree Celsius, highlights the severity of the situation.

Buontempo’s team noted that 21 of the first 23 days of July were hotter than any recorded days in the database, further emphasizing the exceptional nature of this month’s temperatures. Scientists from both Copernicus and an independent German researcher reached these conclusions by analyzing various data, including forecasts, live observations, past records, and computer simulations.

Karsten Haustein, from Leipzig University, conducted his own calculations and found that July 2023 will likely break the old record by 0.2 degrees Celsius, underscoring the unprecedented nature of the ongoing temperature surge. The situation demands urgent attention and action to address the underlying causes of climate change and its potentially catastrophic impacts.

Hottest in 12,000 Years

According to Haustein’s analysis, even though temperature records only go back to the middle of the 19th century, this month’s temperatures are the hottest the Earth has experienced in approximately 120,000 years. Similar calculations by other scientists support this finding, indicating that we are currently facing unprecedented climate conditions.

The significance of these new temperature records cannot be understated. As University of Wisconsin-Madison climate scientist Andrea Dutton explains, soaring temperatures are placing immense strains on power grids, infrastructure, and most importantly, human bodies, which are not equipped to withstand such extreme heat.

The impacts of the hottest July on record are evident across the globe, with deadly heatwaves, wildfires, and floods affecting regions like the U.S., Mexico, China, and southern Europe. Climate scientists, including Friederike Otto from Imperial College London and Katharine Hayhoe from Texas Tech, emphasize that we are entering uncharted territory in terms of climate changes, and these record-breaking events were predicted to occur as the planet continues to warm.

The records serve as a clear message for humanity to take immediate action in reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. University of Arizona climate scientist Katharine Jacobs urges us to stop playing political games and take serious measures to protect ourselves and future generations from the increasingly severe impacts of climate change.

Associated Press contributed to this report