2023 is likely to be the hottest year in human history, and global temperatures during the Northern Hemisphere summer were the warmest on record, the EU climate monitor said on Wednesday.
Heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires struck Asia, Africa, Europe and North America over the last three months, with dramatic impact on economies, ecosystems, and human health.
The average global temperature in June, July, and August was 16.77 degrees Celsius (62.19 degrees Fahrenheit), smashing the previous 2019 record of 16.48C, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a report.
“The three months that we’ve just had are the warmest in approximately 120,000 years, so effectively human history,” C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess said. Last month was the hottest August on record and warmer than all other months except July 2023.
Climate breakdown has begun,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
“Scientists have long warned what our fossil fuel addiction will unleash,” he added. “Our climate is imploding faster than we can cope, with extreme weather events hitting every corner of the planet.”
Record-high global sea surface temperatures played a major role in stoking heat throughout the summer, with marine heatwaves hitting the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
