KATHMANDU: The European Climate Change Service has reported that the record for the world's hottest day has been broken twice in one week. On Monday, the global average surface air temperature hit 17.15°C, surpassing the previous record of 17.09°C set on Sunday. This new record outstripped the one set in July 2023 and may be exceeded again soon.
Several regions, including the Mediterranean, Russia, and Canada, are currently suffering severe heatwave conditions. Global temperatures are rising due to climate change, which is being driven by greenhouse gas emissions from the usage of fossil fuels. According to Prof. Rebecca Emerton of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, continued climate warming would certainly result in more frequent record-breaking temperatures, pushing us farther into uncharted territory.
The climate phenomenon El Niño contributed additional heat earlier this year, though its effects have diminished. Extreme heat poses significant health risks, with the World Health Organization attributing nearly half a million deaths per year to high temperatures from 2000 to 2019. This week, China has issued heat alerts with some areas recording temperatures above 40°C, while Russia, Spain, Greece, and parts of the US face similar challenges, including wildfires.
The global average temperature typically peaks during the northern hemisphere's summer months of July or August, due to the larger land masses like the US and Russia that heat up faster than the southern hemisphere's oceans. Prof. Emerton also noted that above-average temperatures in Antarctica have contributed to the recent temperature spikes, with the region's sea ice levels nearing last year's low, further raising Southern Ocean temperatures.
Friederike Otto, a Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute, emphasized that the repeated breaking of heat records is a stark warning of the dangers posed by continued fossil fuel consumption. Despite the frequent warnings, Otto asserts that we have the necessary tools, technology, and knowledge to mitigate the worsening climate situation by transitioning to renewable energy and reducing emissions to net zero as quickly as possible.
