Despite not breaking the record for the hottest July, global warming persists with July 2023 being the third warmest on record. Extreme weather events, including floods in Pakistan and China and wildfires in Scotland and Greece, highlight the ongoing impact of climate change.
July: The Third Warmest on Record Globally
July: The Third Warmest on Record Globally
Two years after the hottest July in history, no new record was set this year. However, global warming continues, according to figures from the EU's weather service Copernicus.
This year's July averaged 16.68 degrees Celsius, which was 0.45 degrees above the average between 1991 and 2020. The latest measurements place this July just after 2023 and 2024.
"Two years after the hottest July in history, the streak of global temperature records has been broken—for now. But this does not mean climate change has ceased. We continue to witness the effects of a warmer world in the form of extreme heat and floods," says Carlo Buontempo, head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, in a press release.
In July, Pakistan and northern China were hit by heavy rains and floods. Meanwhile, Scotland and Greece battled wildfires after a prolonged drought. Unusually high average temperatures were also recorded in Asia and Scandinavia, with several places experiencing record highs. In Turkey, a record temperature of 50.5 degrees was measured.
According to Copernicus, this year's July temperature was globally 1.25 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels.