July is on track to be the hottest month on record
July is on track to become the hottest month ever recorded on the planet due to a combination of global warming, El Niño, and regional heat waves, experts warn.
The ongoing heat dome has brought extreme temperatures to the American Southwest, leading to a surge in heat-related illnesses and putting hospitals under strain. Government officials now believe that July will likely go down in history as the hottest month ever recorded, with 2023 and 2024 possibly becoming the hottest years.
Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, highlighted the unprecedented changes occurring worldwide, with heat waves smashing records in the US, Europe, and China. He predicted that July will likely be the warmest month ever, following June’s record-breaking warmth.
While El Niño is expected to contribute to higher temperatures over the next two years, the primary driver of increasing global average temperatures remains the burning of fossil fuels by humans. Experts emphasize that the impacts are even more severe than anticipated, and the current situation is disheartening to witness.
Forecasters predict that vast portions of the US, including California, will experience above-average temperatures in the coming weeks. The Pacific Northwest, particularly Oregon and Washington, face a 60% to 70% chance of an unusually hot August, while California has a 33% to 60% chance of above-normal temperatures.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that June was the hottest on record, with global surface temperatures averaging 1.89 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. They also expect this year to rank among the top 10 warmest years on record.
The convergence of factors, including human-induced climate change and the changing behavior of the jet stream, is causing weather patterns to stall, leading to prolonged heat domes and other extreme events.
Despite current temperatures feeling unbearably hot, experts caution that this may become the norm if greenhouse gas emissions continue. Until the world takes decisive action to reduce these emissions, temperatures are expected to continue rising.
