Earth Experiences Hottest Day in 84 Years: Global Average Temperature Hits Record High

New Delhi: Earth just experienced its hottest day in at least 84 years, with the global average temperature hitting a record high of 17.09 degrees Celsius on July 21, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

This latest record comes after a string of record-breaking temperatures, with June marking the 12th consecutive month of global temperatures surpassing the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold. In fact, every month since June last year has been the warmest on record.

Preliminary data from C3S revealed that July 21 was the hottest day since at least 1940, surpassing the previous record of 17.08 degrees Celsius set on July 6, 2023. The stark contrast between temperatures since July 2023 and previous years is striking.

Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S, highlighted the significant deviation between the temperatures observed over the past 13 months and historical records. “We are now in truly uncharted territory, and as the climate continues to warm, we are bound to see new records in the coming months and years,” he stated.

Analysis indicates that both 2023 and 2024 have witnessed notably higher annual maximum daily global temperatures compared to earlier years, with the top 10 warmest years falling between 2015 and 2024.

Experts noted that the spike in daily global temperatures can be attributed to a substantial increase in temperatures across vast regions of Antarctica. Such extreme anomalies are not uncommon during the Antarctic winter and contributed to record temperatures in early July 2023.

The European climate agency suggested that 2024’s status as the warmest year ever will hinge largely on the development and intensity of La Niña. While 2024 has already exceeded the warmth seen in 2023, it remains uncertain whether it will ultimately claim the title of the warmest year on record.

The Earth’s global surface temperature has already risen by about 1.2 degrees Celsius due to escalating levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, primarily carbon dioxide and methane. This unprecedented warming is driving record droughts, wildfires, and floods worldwide.

As leaders strive to adhere to the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit set in the Paris Agreement to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the increasing temperatures underscore the urgent need for collective action to combat the climate crisis.