MENA Newswire News Desk: The summer of 2024 has set a new benchmark as the hottest on record, increasing the likelihood that this year will become the warmest ever measured, according to a report from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). Released on Friday, the data highlights that the average temperature for the boreal summer, which spans June through August, reached 16.8 degrees Celsius (62.24 degrees Fahrenheit). This figure surpasses the previous record set in 2023 by 0.03 degrees Celsius (0.05 degrees Fahrenheit).
The summer’s extreme heat continues a troubling trend observed over recent years. Both June and August of 2024 contributed to this record-breaking season, with August tying 2023’s record high at 16.82 degrees Celsius (62.27 degrees Fahrenheit). July fell just short of setting a new record, but the overall intensity of the summer’s heat made 2024 the hottest boreal summer on record. Carlo Buontempo, Director of C3S, noted that the high temperatures extended beyond just air heat, with dew points—an indicator of humidity—reaching near-record levels globally.
The ongoing heatwave is a stark reminder of the escalating climate crisis. Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “What those sober numbers indicate is how the climate crisis is tightening its grip on us.” This year’s heatwave reflects broader patterns of extreme weather linked to human-induced climate change, compounded by the recent El Niño phenomenon, which has since dissipated.
Buontempo expressed cautious certainty that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the warmest year on record, barring any significant cooling in the final months of the year. “In order for 2024 not to become the warmest on record, we need to see very significant landscape cooling for the remaining few months, which doesn’t look likely at this stage,” he said.
The impacts of this unprecedented heat are far-reaching, with severe consequences for people and ecosystems alike. Jonathan Overpeck, Dean of Environment at the University of Michigan, highlighted the distressing effects on cities like Phoenix, which has experienced over 100 days of temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) this year. “With longer and more severe heatwaves come more severe droughts in some places, and more intense rains and flooding in others. Climate change is becoming too obvious, and too costly, to ignore,” Overpeck warned.
Jennifer Francis from the Woodwell Climate Research Center described the current climate situation as a series of alarming extreme weather events, including heatwaves, floods, and wildfires. “Like people living in a war zone with the constant thumping of bombs and clatter of guns, we are becoming deaf to what should be alarm bells and air-raid sirens,” Francis remarked.
Despite the temporary cooling effects of the forecasted La Niña, which is expected to influence weather patterns in the latter part of the year, it is unlikely to be sufficient to prevent 2024 from setting a new annual temperature record. The persistent trend underscores the urgent need for comprehensive action to address the underlying causes of climate change.