According to the European Union’s climate change office, June was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, a concerning sign as an El Nio weather pattern develops and increases the planet’s already scorching atmosphere.
Last month, the planet’s surface air temperature was just above 0.5 degrees Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit), or the average temperature for June dating back to 1991, which is the baseline Copernicus Climate Change Service uses.
According to an analysis released on Thursday, June’s average global temperature was greatly above the previous mark established in 2019. The emergence of El Nio, say Copernicus scientists, is certain to make this year and several more to come the hottest ever recorded.[1]
The Copernicus Report Explained
June recorded the warmest sea surface temperatures, continuing a trend since May when Copernicus measured the warmest sea surface temperatures.
North Atlantic seas experienced marine heatwaves affecting Ireland, the UK, and the Baltic Sea.
The agency also reported the emergence of an El Niño weather pattern in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean for the first time in seven years.
El Niño is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has caused record heat, drought, and heavy rains in the past.
This has caused scientists to raise concerns that the El Niño cycle may make the coming years the hottest and most extreme on record.
“These exceptional conditions in the North Atlantic highlight the complexity of the Earth system and remind us of the importance of monitoring the global climate in near real-time,” said Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo.
Heat records were broken in north-western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico, Asia, and eastern Australia in June.
Puerto Rico experienced a heat wave, reaching 125 degrees Fahrenheit on parts of the island, and a “heat dome” descended on Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, causing deaths and scorching temperatures in northern Mexico.
Further, June’s hot and dry conditions led to massive wildfires in Canada, causing smoke in American cities.
References
- Copernicus Climate Change Service, ‘Record-breaking North Atlantic Ocean temperatures contribute to extreme marine heatwaves’, 6 July 2023, https://climate.copernicus.eu/record-breaking-north-atlantic-ocean-temperatures-contribute-extreme-marine-heatwaves[↩]
