Hottest July Ever: Record Heat, Wildfires, Melting Ice & El Niño Mark Historic Month
July 2023 will be remembered as a scorching month filled with extreme heatwaves, devastating wildfires, melting sea ice, and the emergence of El Niño. According to federal officials, it was not only the hottest July on record but also very likely the hottest month Earth has experienced in at least 174 years of recorded data. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that global average temperatures in July soared 2.02 degrees above the average, solidifying its place in climate history.
The announcement comes as no surprise to millions of Americans who endured the relentless heat conditions firsthand. A high-pressure heat dome over the American Southwest caused temperatures in Phoenix to surpass 110 degrees for a record-breaking 31 consecutive days. Tragically, over 40 deaths were recorded in the county, with many more under investigation. Scores of people were hospitalized due to heat-related illnesses and pavement burns.
The sweltering conditions were not confined to the United States alone. Greece, Italy, Canada, and Algeria experienced raging wildfires amidst scorching temperatures that forced residents and tourists to flee for safety. Death Valley in California reached a blistering 128 degrees, while parts of northwest China soared as high as 126 degrees.
Several factors converged to create these oppressive conditions, as stated by Karin Gleason, the Chief of the Monitoring Section at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The emergence of El Niño, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific, led to elevated temperatures in the equatorial Pacific and subsequently pushed land and ocean temperatures to unprecedented extremes. Furthermore, this July set records for being the warmest on land, warmest on oceans, and the warmest when both are combined.
Asia, Africa, and South America all experienced their warmest July on record, highlighting the seriousness of this escalating trend. The impact was not limited to land, as ocean temperatures also soared to new heights. July marked the fourth consecutive month of record-high global ocean surface temperatures. In fact, it registered the highest monthly sea surface temperature anomaly ever recorded by NOAA. Off the coast of Florida, ocean temperatures reached an astonishing 101 degrees, equivalent to the temperature of a hot tub.
While El Niño plays a role in explaining the margin by which this July broke records, it fails to account for the broader trend of increasing temperatures. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, emphasizes that over 80% or even 90% of the reason behind these temperature records is due to human-caused climate change. He highlights how the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is the dominant factor behind global warming. Other contributors to the record warmth include the eruption of the Hunga-Tonga volcano in 2022, which released record-breaking amounts of heat-trapping water vapor into the stratosphere. Changes in shipping regulations may have also played a small role in reducing the reflection of sunlight away from the Earth’s surface.
Consequently, the consequences of such anomalously high ocean temperatures are alarming. Coral reef bleaching events have been observed in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, with scientists expressing concerns about regional or localized extinction.
These conditions signal a troubling future as global heating is expected to worsen. The Climate Prediction Center at NOAA has placed the odds of El Niño persisting through the winter at 95%, setting the stage for an even warmer start to 2024. The anticipation of a very warm winter underscores the urgent need for addressing climate change and its direct consequences.
The record-breaking July 2023 serves as a critical wake-up call for the global community. The urgency to mitigate climate change has never been greater. As temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, immediate action is necessary to protect our planet and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.
