The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded the hottest day on Earth on Sunday, and then again on Monday.
Topline
The record set on Sunday for the planet’s hottest day ever lasted just a single day, as another record was set on Monday as a series of summer heat waves blister North America and scientists warn human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could accelerate the pace of climate change.Key Facts
The global average surface air temperature on Monday, July 22, reached 17.15 degrees Celsius (62.87 degrees Fahrenheit), according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, making it the hottest day since at least 1940 (Copernicus data dates to the mid-20th century).
That record surpassed a world record set just one day earlier at 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit), narrowly breaking the previous record of 17.08 degrees Celsius, recorded on July 6, 2023.
The consecutive record-breaking days come as scientists warn about devastating and long-range effects of human-induced climate change, which has been linked to exacerbated heat waves, more intense major storm systems, sea-level rise and prolonged drought.
In a statement Tuesday, Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said “we are now in truly uncharted territory and as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years.
