Heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires hit Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America over the last three months, with substantial effects on economies, ecosystems, and human health.
The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a report that in June, July, and August, the average global temperature was 16.77 degrees Celsius (62.19 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking the last 2019 record of 16.48C.
Samantha Burgess, C3S deputy director told AFP that the last three months we’ve had are the warmest in about 120,000 years, so effectively in human history.
Except for July, the previous month was the hottest August in history and warmer than all other months.
Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General said that climate breakdown has started.
He added that scientists have long cautioned what our fossil fuel obsession will unleash. Our climate is imploding quicker than we can manage, with severe weather circumstances striking every corner of the world, Guterres said.
Record-high earth sea surface temperatures played a significant part in stoking heat throughout the summer, with ocean heat waves striking the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
Burgess said that looking at the more heat we have in the surface sea, the possibility is that 2023 will end up being the hottest year on record.
The report added that the average planet temperature through the first eight months of 2023 is the second-hottest in history, just 0.01C below the benchmark 2016 level.
Burgess said that if the Northern Hemisphere has a “normal” winter, “we can virtually say that 2023 will be the hottest year that humanity has ever witnessed.
