Last Monday, July 22, was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) data. The global average temperature was recorded at exactly 62.87° Fahrenheit (17.15° Celsius). The previous record for the highest global average temperature was from last year, July 6, 2023, when the average temperature was 62.71° Fahrenheit (17.06° Celsius).
Global average temperatures usually peak between late June and early August. This is because the land masses in the Northern Hemisphere tend to warm up faster than the southern ocean can cool down. Last year, temperatures peaked in early July and early August. The temperature in July narrowly beat out the temperature in August, and if this pattern stays true this year, it is possible that we might experience record-high temperatures again in August.
The last 13 straight months have also broken records for the highest temperatures. July 2024 will likely not be an exception to this pattern. The first half of July was very close to breaking records for high temperatures, and if the rest of the month stays exceptionally warm, it could break the record for the warmest July ever, currently held by July 2023.
Depending on how warm the temperature is for the rest of the year, 2024 could be a candidate for the warmest year on record. However, we are only in the seventh month of the year, and we cannot currently predict with absolute certainty how the rest of the year will be in terms of temperature. Depending on when and how strongly the La Niña weather pattern develops, temperatures could change drastically.
