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August Ties Record as World’s Hottest Month, Scientists Say
Scientists said August was tied with July 2023 as the hottest month ever recorded.
The planet’s average surface temperature was 16.96°C.
That was 1.65°C warmer than temperatures before large-scale fossil-fuel use.
One month above 1.5°C does not mean the Paris Agreement limit has officially been exceeded, because that limit uses a long-term average.
Hot weather was linked with wildfires, droughts, floods, and landslides in different parts of the world.
Western Europe also experienced its hottest summer on record.
Oceans outside the polar regions were as warm as ever recorded for a month.
Scientists said El Niño could make global temperatures rise further in the coming months.
August tied July 2023 as the world’s hottest month since records began, with an average temperature of 16.96°C.
Global temperatures were 1.65°C above 19th-century pre-industrial levels, although the Paris Agreement target is measured over decades.
Extreme weather included floods and landslides in Nepal and Tibet, wildfires across several countries, and drought in Hungary and Romania.
Western Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, with low river flows, dry soils, crop damage, and disruptions to daily life.
The world’s non-polar oceans also reached their joint-highest monthly temperature, while El Niño may push temperatures higher.
- Who
- The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported the temperature record, with comments from climate scientist Samantha Burgess.
- What
- August tied July 2023 as the world’s hottest month on record and reached 1.65°C above 19th-century pre-industrial levels.
- Where
- Globally, with notable impacts reported in Europe, Nepal, Tibet, Indonesia, Greece, Belgium, Hungary, and Romania.
- When
- August, according to data reported on September 10.
- Why
- Scientists said fossil-fuel emissions are the main cause of climate change, while El Niño also contributed to high temperatures.
Key facts
- Average global temperature
- 16.96°C in August
- Temperature above pre-industrial level
- 1.65°C above the 19th-century average
- Previous matching record
- July 2023
- Paris Agreement distinction
- The 1.5°C target refers to a decades-long average, not one unusually hot month.
- Western Europe
- Experienced its hottest summer on record.
- Ocean temperatures
- Non-polar oceans reached their joint-highest monthly temperature on record.
- Data coverage
- Copernicus records date back to 1940 and are cross-checked with records dating to 1850.
Quotes
Samantha Burgess
Strategic lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
“We’ve really seen the impact across Europe of how maladapted we are, with roads melting, train lines buckling, schools closing, hospitals completely overwhelmed, and record wildfires for the time of year.”
theprint.in
“The narrative around climate change has really transitioned from being quite an abstract concept that happens in a faraway place, to disrupting our daily lives.”
theprint.in
Sources
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