Sept. 6, 2024 – The Northern Hemisphere has had the hottest summer on record, meaning 2024 will probably end up being the hottest calendar year ever recorded, Copernicus Climate Change Service reported on Friday.
The average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere for June, July, and August was 16.8 C (62.24 F), about .03 degrees C (.05 degrees F) hotter than the summer record set in 2023, according to Copernicus.
The current yearly heat record was also set in 2023, when the global average temperature was 14.98 C (58.964 F). Before that, the hottest year was 2016.
"During the past 3 months of 2024, the globe has experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the hottest boreal (northern) summer on record,” Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, said in a statement. “This string of record temperatures is increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year on record.”
June and August 2024 beat those months in 2023 for heat, but July 2024 was slightly cooler than July 2023. However, June 2024 was so much hotter than June 2023 that the overall summer was the hottest, said Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo, PhD, according to The Associated Press.
Copernicus said July 22, 2024, was the hottest day on record, with a daily global average of 17.16 C (62.88 F).
“The temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense, with more devastating consequences for people and the planet unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Burgess said.