Planet’s hottest month confirmed while Earth keeps baking
On the same day that climate agencies in the United States confirmed that July was the planets hottest month on record, historic August heat was occurring around the Northern Hemisphere. From the United States to Asia and the Middle East, Monday saw a continuation of extreme heat that has lasted for weeks and even months in many places. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed Monday what was already nearly certain : Earths average global surface temperature in July was 2.02 degrees above the long-term July average of 60.4 degrees, making July the warmest month in 174 years of record-keeping. It was the 533rd consecutive warmer-than-average month, spanning a stretch of more than 44 years. During July 2023, 9.35% of the worlds surface had a record-high July temperature the highest July percentage, NOAA said . July was also the fourth consecutive month that global ocean surface temperatures were at record highs. NASA and Berkeley Earth , a nonprofit group that analyzes climate data, also found that July was the planets hottest month on record by a wide margin. The record-setting July follows the planets warmest June on record . Overall, the first seven months of 2023 ranked as the third-warmest January-to-July, NOAA said. Extreme heat has continued in August in many locations around the globe, with several records reported Monday: The presence of El Nino, which NOAA gives a 95 percent chance of lasting through the winter, favors a continuation of the worldwide warmth. It is virtually certain (> 99.0%) that 2023 will rank among the five-warmest years on record, with a nearly 50% probability that 2023 will rank as the warmest on record, NOAA said. Berkeley Earth was even more bullish in its projections for warmth this year, concluding that its virtually certain 2023 will be the warmest year on record for the planet.