July 2023 ‘Virtually Certain’ To Be Hottest Month In Human History

July 2023 is shaping up to be the hottest month ever recorded, highlighting the significant impact of human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, on global warming.

In recent announcements, both the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Leipzig University in Germany disclosed that the average global temperature for July is expected to surpass the previous record set in July 2019 by 0.2 Celsius (0.4 Fahrenheit).

Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service reveals that the first three weeks of July have been the warmest on record, with Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist at Leipzig University, estimating that these scorching temperatures haven’t been witnessed on Earth for the past 120,000 years. This revelation isn’t entirely surprising, considering that July 4th was already declared the hottest day on Earth in at least 100,000 years (later surpassed by July 6th).

Haustein shared, “Based on initial data and temperature forecasts for the remainder of the month, it is highly likely that July 2023 will surpass the previous record by approximately 0.2 degrees Celsius, making it not only the warmest July ever recorded but also the hottest month in terms of global mean temperature. We may need to look back thousands or even tens of thousands of years to find similar conditions on our planet.”

Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, added, “Record-breaking temperatures are part of the ongoing trend of substantial increases in global temperatures. The primary driver behind these rising temperatures is anthropogenic emissions.”

Buontempo further warned that the record-setting trend is expected to continue.

“July’s record is unlikely to stand alone this year. C3S’ seasonal forecasts indicate that land temperatures will continue to significantly exceed the long-term average for this time of year.”

Meanwhile, southern Europe and North Africa continue to face devastating wildfires, as uncontrolled fires rage across Italy, Croatia, Algeria, Tunisia, Portugal, Spain, and Greece. Tragically, these fires have already claimed the lives of at least 40 individuals. In addition, extensive wildfires continue to burn in Canada, causing widespread smoke across North America.

Guillermo Rein, Professor of Fire Science at Imperial College London, commented on the Greek wildfires, stating, “Wildfires have always been present in the South, but climate change is making them larger, faster, and more difficult to extinguish.”

“The extreme summer heat dries out vegetation, making it highly flammable and prone to ignition. Heatwaves and exceptionally hot summers exacerbate the flammability of forests,” Rein explained.

Elsewhere, Antarctica is facing its lowest winter sea ice levels ever recorded, contrary to the expected ice growth during this period. Additionally, researchers off the coast of Florida have measured the highest ever sea temperatures in the region, comparable to those found in hot tubs.

The World Weather Attribution, a network of scientists analyzing weather events, recently declared that human-caused climate change has significantly increased the probability of extreme temperatures in July. Friederike Otto, a researcher at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London, noted on social media that these findings were “unsurprising” and emphasized the urgent need for adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Gareth Redmond-King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit in the United Kingdom, responded to the news from Leipzig, stating, “Last year was already the hottest on record in the UK. We have witnessed the hottest June, a string of record-breaking days worldwide, elevated sea surface temperatures, intense heatwaves, rampant wildfires, and now July has shattered the previous record for the hottest month ever experienced by modern humans.”

Redmond-King continued, “These alarming events serve as urgent reminders that unless we swiftly transition to a net-zero emissions trajectory, such extreme weather events will only worsen. This requires implementing residential heat adjustments, energy-efficient transportation systems, and increasing reliance on wind and solar power.”

Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Adviser in Britain and head of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, emphasized, “Merely adapting to current high temperatures is insufficient; they will continue to rise rapidly unless we take immediate action. We must acknowledge that this is the most severe crisis our civilization has ever faced and commit to achieving net-zero emissions as quickly as possible. Our only path forward is to drastically reduce emissions, remove excess greenhouse gases, and simultaneously repair the Arctic region while enhancing the resilience of the global climate system. Only then can we secure a safe and manageable future for humanity.”

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