July 2023 Set to Break Record as Hottest Month in History, U.N. Secretary-General Warns
July 27, 2023
NEW YORK – July 2023 is on its way to being recognized as the hottest month ever recorded, according to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. The U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service issued a joint statement, stating that it was “extremely likely” July 2023 would break the previous temperature record set in July 2019.
Guterres expressed his concerns about the escalating climate crisis, stating, “Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning. The era of global boiling has arrived.” He urged immediate action to address the impacts of climate change.
The effects of the scorching temperatures have been felt across the globe. Wildfires forced thousands of tourists to evacuate the Greek island of Rhodes, while the U.S. Southwest experienced extreme heat, causing discomfort and health risks. Meanwhile, a township in northwest China broke the national temperature record, reaching a scorching 52.2 degrees Celsius (126 degrees Fahrenheit).
German Leipzig University’s analysis supported the claims of a record-breaking month, projecting that July 2023 would surpass the previous record by at least 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Leipzig climate scientist Karsten Haustein stated, “The margin of difference is so substantial that we can already say with absolute certainty that it is going to be the warmest July.”
Furthermore, preliminary data and weather models indicate that July 2023 is estimated to be approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial mean. This temperature increase is unprecedented in the past 120,000 years, according to early climate records derived from ice cores and tree rings.
Sweltering temperatures have unsettled various regions globally. Death Valley in California experienced the hottest recorded night, marine heatwaves threatened coral reefs, and wildfires raged across Canada. Major heatwaves impacted countries like France, Spain, Germany, and Poland, with temperatures soaring into the mid-40s Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit) on the Italian island of Sicily.
The impacts of the escalating temperatures have led to extreme weather events, such as floods and record rainfall in South Korea, Japan, India, and Pakistan. Friederike Otto, a scientist with the Grantham Institute for Climate Change in London, emphasized that although global mean temperature itself may not directly cause harm, extreme weather events are manifestations of an increasingly warming planet.
The current El Nino event, resulting from warm waters in the eastern Pacific, is also contributing to the elevated temperatures worldwide. Scientists predict that 2023 or 2024 might surpass 2016 as the hottest year on record.
As the world faces the realities of the climate crisis, urgent action is needed to mitigate the effects of climate change and work towards a sustainable future.
Reporting by Gloria Dickie in London, Ontario; additional reporting by Ali Withers in Copenhagen and David Stanway in Singapore; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Alison Williams