July is on track to be the hottest month on record, according to an announcement today (Thursday, July 27) by Copernicus Climate Change Service (CS3).
The announcement comes from data received through the latest climate reanalysis, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
The data shows that the first three weeks of July have been the warmest three-week period on record and it is “extremely likely” that the entire month will be the hottest ever.
According to CS3, these temperatures have been related to heatwaves in large parts of North America, Asia and Europe, along with wildfires in countries including Canada and Greece.
The climate service said these weather events “had major impacts on people’s health, the environment and economies”.
Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at ECMWF, Carlo Buontempo said: “July’s record is unlikely to remain isolated this year.
“C3S seasonal forecasts indicate that over land areas temperatures are likely to be well above average, exceeding the 80th percentile of climatology for the time of year.”
July breakdown
On July 6, the daily average global mean surface air temperature surpassed the record set in August 2016, making it the hottest day on record, with July 5 and July 7 shortly behind.
Global mean temperature temporarily exceeded the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels during the first and third week of the month (within observational error).
Since May, the global average sea surface temperature has been well above previously observed values for the time of the year.
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) secretary general Prof., Petteri Taalas said:
“The extreme weather which has affected many millions of people in July is unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a foretaste of the future.”
WMO predicts that there is a 98% likelihood that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record.
