Record-Breaking Heatwave Hits on July 3rd
According to the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction (via Reuters), meteorologists have confirmed that Monday marked the hottest day ever recorded. On July 3rd, 2023, global temperatures surpassed 17 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit) for the first time since satellite monitoring began in 1979. Scientists believe that Monday also holds the record for the hottest day since humans started using instruments to measure daily temperatures in the late 19th century. The previous record, set in August 2016, saw the world’s average temperature reach 16.92C (62.45 Fahrenheit).
This week, the southern United States is basking in a heat dome that has sent local temperatures over 110 Fahrenheit (43 C). Even places not normally known for warm weather have been unusually hot in recent days and weeks, with the highest July temperature at the Vernadsky Research Center in Antarctica at 8.7C.
Scientists attribute the recent heat to a combination of El Niño and continued human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Studies have shown that climate change is increasing heat waves, which are more frequent, last longer and hotter than ever. “The global average surface air temperature reaching 17C for the first time since we have reliable data is a major symbolic milestone in our warming world,” climate scientist Leon Simons told BBC News. “Now that the warmer phase of El Niño is starting, we can expect many more daily, monthly and annual records over the next 1.5 years.”
