Global temperatures reached a new all-time high this summer.
Scientists have concluded that July 2023 was officially the hottest month ever recorded. Scientists made the determination based on data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
C3S is a forecasting service from the European Union used by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The service compiles data based on global changes in sea ice cover and surface temperatures, surface air temperature, and other variables, analyzing data gathered from ships, aircraft, weather stations, and satellites, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The WMO had already reported that much of the globe was under the effects of a heat wave, labeling this year’s summer season as a “summer of extremes,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Using data from C3S, scientists determined that July 2023’s average global temperature was the highest ever recorded. July 2023 was about 0.72 degrees C warmer than July temperatures from 1991 to 2020, 0.33 degrees C warmer than July of 2019, and 1.5 degrees C warmer than the average in the five decades between 1850 and 1900.
Average global sea surface temperatures were also measured at 0.51 degrees C above averages between 1991 and 2020.
The title of the hottest month previously belonged to July 2021, according to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, with the combined land and ocean surface temperatures being 0.93 degrees C above the average of the 20th century.
Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, said in a press release that this year’s temperatures have propelled it into the ranks of the hottest years in history.
“2023 is currently the third warmest year to date at 0.43ºC above the recent average, with the average global temperature in July at 1.5°C above preindustrial levels,” said Burgess in the release.
The heat has impacted North Texas in a variety of ways. As reported by The Dallas Express, the scorching temperatures in DFW have threatened people’s health, as well as damaged cars and public transportation, to name a few.
