The European climate monitoring organization, Copernicus Climate Change Service, has officially confirmed that July 2023 was the hottest month on record for the Earth, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by a significant margin. The global average temperature for July was 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 degrees Fahrenheit), which is a third of a degree Celsius (six-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit) higher than the previous record.
This temperature increase is particularly unusual, as global temperature records are typically broken by much smaller increments, often hundredths or tenths of a degree. The impact of this record-breaking heat has been felt worldwide, with a total of 15 weather disasters in the United States alone causing at least $1 billion in damage this year, making it the highest number of such mega-disasters in the first seven months of a year since records began in 1980.
The consequences of these records are profound, affecting both people and the planet through increasingly frequent and intense extreme events. Deadly heatwaves have occurred in various regions, including the Southwestern United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia. Scientific studies point to human-caused climate change resulting from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas as a significant factor behind these extreme conditions.
The global average temperature for July 2023 was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial times. The nations of the world agreed in 2015 to work toward preventing long-term warming that exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Last month’s temperature was not only a record for July but also notably warmer, with a difference of 0.7 degrees Celsius (1.3 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to the average July temperature from 1991 to 2020.
Several alarming temperature anomalies were observed, with the world’s oceans being half a degree Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the previous 30-year average, and the North Atlantic being 1.05 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than usual. Antarctica experienced record lows for sea ice, registering 15% below the average for this time of year.
Copernicus, a division of the European Union’s space program, maintains temperature records dating back to 1940. This July temperature reading exceeds any month recorded by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), whose records go back to 1850. However, climate scientists indicate that this record heat likely spans a much longer period, with comparisons to the Holocene Epoch (around 10,000 years ago) showing that present times are the warmest in that timeframe.
While the United States had its 11th hottest July in its 129-year record, specific regions experienced extreme heat. States like Arizona, Florida, Maine, and New Mexico recorded their warmest Julys on record, with Arizona breaking its previous record by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius). Phoenix, in particular, experienced an average temperature of 102.8 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the hottest month ever recorded for any city in the United States, according to NOAA. Additionally, Death Valley reported its hottest midnight temperature on record, reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.9 degrees Celsius) on July 17.