Earth Likely Records Its Hottest Day in Thousands of Years

[Social Media]

 

On a historic Sunday, Earth experienced its hottest day on record globally since at least 1940, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service in Europe. The unprecedented heat wave marks a significant milestone in the ongoing climate crisis, highlighting the rapid and alarming changes our planet is undergoing.

 

"We are now in truly uncharted territory, and as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years," said Carlo Buontempo, the director of Copernicus. His words echo the growing concerns among scientists and environmentalists about the accelerating pace of climate change and its far-reaching impacts.

 

 

The record-breaking day surpassed the previous high set last July, occurring during what has been identified as the planet's hottest year since at least the pre-industrial era, and likely for at least 100,000 years before that. This record was part of a 13-month stretch that has been the warmest period ever recorded, with ocean temperatures also hitting record highs for 15 consecutive months. The significance of these ocean temperatures cannot be overstated, as the world's oceans absorb about 90% of the trapped heat from the human-caused buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

 

While the new data is preliminary, it is deemed reliable by both Copernicus and independent researchers. On July 21, the daily global average temperature reached 17.09°C (62.76°F), just slightly above the 17.08°C (62.74°F) recorded on July 6, 2023. This data is derived from a technique known as reanalysis, which integrates information from various sources such as ships, buoys, surface weather stations, and satellites, calculated in near real-time. The European data is highly regarded, and other reanalysis data sets tend to align closely with these findings, lending further confidence to the results.

 

The stark rise in global average temperatures since the summer of 2023 has been dramatic, surpassing previous records by a considerable margin. Scientists are actively investigating the underlying reasons for this abrupt increase. Before July 2023, the previous daily global average temperature record was set on August 13, 2016. Since July 3, 2023, there have been 57 days that exceeded that previous record, as noted by Copernicus. While an El Niño climate cycle in the tropical Pacific Ocean last year would typically increase global average temperatures somewhat, this factor alone does not fully account for all the observed warming.

 

The ten years with the highest daily average temperatures have all occurred between 2015 and 2024, according to Copernicus researchers. The difference between the highest daily average temperature in 2015, which was the coolest year on that list, and the 2024 record is significant, at about 0.3°C (0.54°F). The climate is rapidly approaching the most stringent warming limit under the Paris climate agreement, which aims to keep climate change under 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

 

The hypotheses for this unprecedented warming range from reduced aerosol emissions due to a switch to different marine shipping fuels to a volcanic eruption in 2022, as well as an unsettling, human-caused acceleration in the pace of global warming. While these factors are being investigated, the urgency to understand and address the causes of such rapid climate shifts is clear.

 

"What is truly staggering is how large the difference is between the temperature of the last 13 months and the previous temperature records," Buontempo remarked, underscoring the extraordinary nature of the recent temperature spikes. His sentiments were echoed by climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, who told Axios via email, "It's certainly a worrying sign coming on the heels of 13 straight record-setting months." According to Hausfather, there is about a 92% chance that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the warmest year on record, based on year-to-date temperatures. However, he noted that upcoming months might exhibit some signs of cooling due to ocean and atmospheric conditions across the tropical Pacific Ocean.

 

Hausfather emphasized that long-term temperature changes are more significant than daily fluctuations when assessing the impact of human-driven climate change. "Daily global temperatures are real and physically meaningful, but are highly variable on a weekly basis," he explained. "We should focus more on monthly, annual, and even longer-term temperature changes when looking for a signal from human-driven climate change."

 

As we move forward, more warming is expected through mid-century due to the continued emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases. However, the decisions made now by global leaders and ordinary citizens regarding energy, transportation, food systems, and deforestation will determine the extent of global warming after that. The urgency to address these issues has never been greater, as the record-breaking temperatures serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of inaction.

 

The unprecedented heatwave experienced on Sunday is a clear indicator that the climate crisis is intensifying. The rapid rise in global temperatures, the persistent warmth of the oceans, and the breaking of long-standing records all point to a future where extreme weather events and climate disruptions become more frequent and severe. The data and expert insights provided by Copernicus and climate scientists like Buontempo and Hausfather highlight the critical need for immediate and sustained action to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to safeguard the planet for future generations.

 

Credit: AXIOS 2024-07-25

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[soalbundy]

Buy shares in firms producing air con units.

[James105]

"Earth Likely Records Its Hottest Day in Thousands of Years"

 

Likely is doing a lot of hard work here, likely the hardest it has worked in thousands of years.  

[BoganInParasite]

An app of some type displays weather warnings for my location on the navigation bar of my laptop. Over the last four months I'd say that at least every third day it displays 'Near record' at least once a day and on several occasions it has displayed 'Record temp' (I think, or something similar). The messages are generally displayed mid-afternoon but I have seen some around breakfast where the overnight minimum has been high. Last year I'd say these warnings were maybe displayed closer to every tenth day, this year every third.

[Purdey]

Heating up the Earth will change how things work. Changes to global ocean and air currents will have a drastic effect on birds and fish. in around 2017, when a certain moron said,  “In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming..." he was asking for a demonstration by nature of its ability to hurt humanity.

No one understood that the number of forest fires would increase to kill more wildlife and homes, or that hurricanes and typhoons would wreak more havoc on lives.