BRUSSELS — Last month marked the hottest June on record globally, according to the European Union’s climate monitor, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). This milestone caps off a half-year of extreme weather events, including devastating floods and relentless heatwaves.
Every month since June 2023 has set its own temperature record, creating a 13-month streak of unprecedented global heat. C3S Director Carlo Buontempo highlighted the significance of this trend, stating, “This is more than a statistical oddity and it highlights a large and continuing shift in our climate. Even if this specific streak of extremes ends at some point, we are bound to see new records being broken as the climate continues to warm.” He emphasized that the continuation of this trend is “inevitable” as long as heat-trapping gases are added to the atmosphere.
The global average temperature for June 2024 broke the previous record set in June 2023, marking the midpoint of a year characterized by extreme climate conditions. The first half of the year saw scorching heat across regions including India, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Mexico. Additionally, extensive flooding impacted Kenya, China, Brazil, Afghanistan, Russia, and France, while wildfires ravaged Greece and Canada. Last week, Hurricane Beryl became the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, affecting several Caribbean islands.
Impact of Warmer Oceans
The streak of record-breaking temperatures has coincided with the El Nino phenomenon, known for contributing to hotter global weather. However, C3S senior scientist Julien Nicolas noted that this was not the sole factor. “Record sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, the Northern Pacific, and Indian Ocean also contributed to the soaring heat across the globe,” Nicolas said.
June also marked 15 consecutive months of record sea surface temperatures. The oceans, covering 70% of the Earth’s surface, absorb 90% of the excess heat from rising climate-warming emissions, significantly impacting air temperatures above the surface.
While the world is transitioning into a La Nina phase, which generally has a cooling effect, Nicolas cautioned that record sea surface temperatures might persist. “If these record temperatures persist, even as La Nina conditions develop, that might lead to 2024 being warmer than 2023. But it’s too early to tell,” he added.
In the 12 months leading up to June 2024, global air temperatures averaged 1.64°C above pre-industrial levels, the highest in the data record. This doesn’t mean the 1.5°C warming limit set by the 2015 Paris Agreement has been breached, as that goal is measured over decades, not individual years. However, Copernicus recently indicated an 80% chance that Earth’s annual average temperatures would temporarily exceed the 1.5°C mark within the next five years.
