July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, the European Union's climate observatory confirmed Tuesday, warning of dire consequences.
Marked by heatwaves and fires all around the world, the previous month was 0.33 degrees Celsius higher than the record set in July 2019 when the average temperature was 16.63C (32 Fahrenheit), it said.
"It has not been this warm, combining observational records and paleoclimate records, for the last 120,000 years," said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
"The global average temperature for July 2023 is confirmed to be the highest on record for any month -- the month is estimated to have been around 1.5 degrees warmer than the average for 1850 to 1900," said Burgess.
The service stated that this July was 0.72C warmer than the 1991-2020 average for the month. About 1.2 degrees Celsius of global warming since the late 1800s, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, has made heatwaves hotter, longer and more frequent, as well as intensifying other weather extremes like storms and floods.
"Heatwaves were experienced in multiple regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including southern Europe. Well-above average temperatures occurred over several South American countries and around much of Antarctica," according to the observatory.
Scientists had warned that July could hit a new record.
The world's oceans also set a new temperature record, raising concerns about knock-on effects on the planet's climate, marine life and coastal communities.
The temperature of the oceans' surface rose to 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 30, according to European Union climate observatory data. The previous record was 20.95C in March 2016, a spokeswoman for Copernicus Climate Change Service earlier told AFP.
"We just witnessed global air temperatures and global ocean surface temperatures set new all-time records in July. These records have dire consequences for both people and the planet exposed to ever more frequent and intense extreme events," said Burgess.
2023 is currently the third warmest year to date at 0.43C above the recent average, with the average global temperature in July at 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
"Even if this is only temporary, it shows the urgency for ambitious efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, which are the main driver behind these records," she said.
(With inputs from AFP)
Read more: Hailstorms out, heatwave in: What to do about India’s climate change problem
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