Major global heat records shattered this summer
This was the hottest summer on record in the U.S. and parts of western Europe, and the world’s oceans have never been hotter in August
The world just sweltered through a historic three-month stretch that saw record-breaking temperatures across nearly every continent and ocean basin.
Temperatures will continue running warmer than normal as we dive into the autumn months, driven in part by a strengthening El Niño, virtually assuring that additional records are at risk in the weeks and months to come.
DON’T MISS: Latest forecast calls for a historic El Niño to peak this winter
The list of records compiled by NOAA is voluminous.
Average worldwide temperatures between June and August were the hottest ever observed during that three-month stretch of the year, running 1.21°C above normal. This was also the world’s hottest August on record, with average readings coming in 1.32°C above normal. Global records date back to 1850.
Global sea surface temperatures reached an average of 21.18°C for four days in late August, which is the all-time warmest average ever observed. A strong and growing El Niño in the Pacific helped propel ocean temperatures to their lofty heights.
North America notched its all-time warmest summer since records began in 1895. This was driven mostly by relentless heat domes across the United States, which saw an overall average temperature of 1.15°C above seasonal that swept away the previous record set in the midst of the Dust Bowl in 1936.
Vast swaths of western Europe also experienced their warmest summer on record, with the region’s average coming in more than 2°C above seasonal.
Several intense heat events shattered all-time highs in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Poland. Major cities across France observed their hottest-ever temperatures this summer. Paris alone reached 30°C or higher more than 50 times between May and September.
The records didn’t stop there. Africa experienced its warmest-ever June through August, according to NOAA. This was also Australia’s third-warmest winter and Japan’s fifth-hottest summer.
While extreme daytime highs are attention-grabbing, the majority of this year’s abnormal heat has occurred at night. Out of more than 133,000 daily heat records set around the world this year, 57 per cent of those were record-high overnight minimum temperatures.
Extreme heat to this extent and severity is a hallmark of climate change. Average temperatures are increasing around the world, and a warmer climate makes atmospheric conditions more conducive to heat waves.
Header image created using graphics and imagery from Canva.