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According to preliminary data from the EU climate change service Copernicus, the record for the hottest day worldwide, which was only reached on Sunday, was exceeded again on Monday. The global average surface temperature rose to 17.15 degrees Celsius, 0.06 degrees higher than Sunday’s record of 17.09 degrees.
The previous high of 17.08 degrees Celsius was measured on July 6, 2023. Before that, the record for the global daily average temperature was 16.8 degrees Celsius on August 13, 2016. However, since July 3, 2023, there have been 57 days on which the record from 2016 was exceeded, spread over the months of July and August 2023 as well as June and July 2024, according to the report.
“Last Monday may have set a new world record for the warmest absolute global average temperature ever—and by that, I mean tens of thousands of years ago,” said climate researcher Karsten Haustein from the University of Leipzig in Germany.
“Unexplored terrain”
Carlo Buontempo from the EU Climate Change Service said, “We are now in uncharted territory, and as the climate continues to warm, we are certain to see new records broken in the coming months and years.” According to experts, the peak value is remarkable because the “El Nino” weather phenomenon—which can further increase global temperatures and lead to more extreme weather—has already ended in spring.
According to Copernicus, the sudden rise in the daily global average temperature is linked to far above-average temperatures over large parts of Antarctica. In addition, the Antarctic sea ice extent is almost as low as it was at this time last year, leading to well above-average temperatures over parts of the Southern Ocean.
The European Union’s Copernicus climate change service regularly publishes data on the Earth’s surface temperature, sea ice cover and precipitation. The findings are based on computer-generated analyses incorporating billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide. The data used dates back to 1950, with some earlier data also available.
Heat in Europe
Many regions of the world are currently groaning under the unbearable heat, for example, in southern Europe. Recently, temperatures of more than 40 degrees were measured in Spanish cities such as Seville and Cordoba. Italian cities such as Rome and Florence have also recorded temperatures of up to 38 degrees in the shade, while some places on the Mediterranean island of Sicily have broken the 40-degree mark.
Meanwhile, the UN Children’s Fund sounded the alarm: in Europe and Central Asia, rising temperatures are estimated to have cost the lives of 377 children in 2021, according to a new UNICEF analysis. According to the study, half of these children died from heat-related illnesses in their first year of life, most of them in the summer months. The UN Children’s Fund has therefore called for strategies to be developed to reduce the impact of heat waves.
“Tropicalization” of the Adriatic Sea causes concern
The temperatures of the Adriatic Sea are also causing concern: due to the current water temperatures of up to 30 degrees Celsius, researchers are warning of the unforeseeable effects of the “tropicalization” of the Mediterranean. Algae slime and jellyfish could increase.
“The Adriatic has reached temperatures like the Maldives, but without its colours,” emphasized marine biologist Roberto Danovaro in the daily newspaper ‘La Repubblica’ on Tuesday. Because of the heatwave, the living conditions for tropical fish are ideal, and they are spreading more and more in the Adriatic.
Consequences for Austria
Austria, which is currently experiencing a slight cooling compared to the previous week, is also struggling with rising temperatures: A new interactive map recently showed the country’s heat load. In a press release, scientists from the Complexity Science Hub (CSH) Vienna and the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) warned that the increasing number of hot days represents a considerable health burden, especially for older people.
Not only that but changes in precipitation and rising temperatures are also putting increasing pressure on water reservoirs. Almost a quarter of municipalities in Austria are at high risk of water shortages by 2050. This was the conclusion recently reached by the environmental organization Greenpeace. According to experts, there are still enough options to prevent use conflicts adequately. In view of the global fight against the climate crisis, measures are still worthwhile, according to experts.
- red, ORF.at/Agencies/picture: pixabay.com
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