Faith Nyasuguta
Monday set a new record as the hottest day ever globally, surpassing the previous day’s record, according to the European climate change service, Copernicus.
Preliminary satellite data published on Wednesday indicated that Monday’s global average temperature reached 17.15 degrees Celsius (62.87 degrees Fahrenheit), 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.1 degree Fahrenheit) hotter than Sunday. This unprecedented heat is attributed to human-caused climate change, which scientists believe may have resulted in the warmest temperatures in 120,000 years.
While it is uncertain whether Monday was the absolute hottest day in this time frame, it is clear that average temperatures have not been this high since long before the advent of agriculture. The recent temperature rise aligns with climate scientists’ predictions, who warned that increasing fossil fuel consumption would lead to such outcomes.
The previous record for the hottest day was set just a year ago, with the previous high recorded in 2016, when temperatures averaged 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 degrees Fahrenheit).
A significant factor contributing to this week’s unprecedented temperatures was an unusually warm Antarctic winter. This pattern mirrors last year’s record-setting event in early July, where similar conditions in Antarctica played a role. Copernicus’s records date back to 1940, but other temperature measurements by U.S. and U.K. agencies extend to 1880.
Combining these historical data with natural evidence like tree rings and ice cores, scientists estimate that last year’s highs were the hottest the Earth had experienced in around 120,000 years. The first six months of 2024 have now exceeded even those records.
Experts suggest that without human-induced climate change, such extreme temperature records would not be broken with the frequency observed in recent years. The occurrence of such extraordinary heat across two consecutive years, particularly without the influence of the El Niño phenomenon, which ended earlier this year, underscores the severity of the situation.
In Africa, countries have been enduring some of the most severe heatwaves, with temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius in certain areas. This extreme heat has had devastating effects, including prolonged droughts in nations such as Morocco, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. The ongoing heatwaves and resulting droughts are exacerbating food and water shortages, impacting millions of people across the continent.
The global temperature surge highlights the urgent need for action to address climate change. As the planet continues to warm at an alarming rate, the risks of more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, and other climate-related disasters grow. These events highlight the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to sustainable energy sources to mitigate the impacts of climate change on our environment and societies.
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