A summer of record-breaking heat
Older adults, children, pregnant people and those with medical conditions are more vulnerable than others as temperatures are rapidly rising across the world.
This summer, global temperatures soared to an average of 16.8 degrees Celsius, officially making it the hottest season ever recorded. This year’s average is only 0.03 degrees Celsius more than last year—marking the last two summers with the highest seen averages in global records since 1850.
Research on ancient tree rings indicates that recent years have been the hottest in the past 2,000 years, with some climate scientists suggesting these temperatures may be the highest in 125,000 years.
July has seen record-breaking heat waves in all parts of the world, including the US, Mexico, and China, making it climatologically the hottest month on record.
According to Samantha Burgess, the deputy director of the European Union’s Copernicus, “The string of record temperatures is increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest (calendar) year on record.”
One contributor to this summer’s extreme heat waves is El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon or pattern linked to the warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. However, El Niño only accounts for 0.2 degrees Celsius variation in global temperatures and, by itself, cannot explain the rapid climate changes the planet is currently experiencing.
Richard Allan, a climate science professor at the University of Reading in the UK, told CNN, “The record global warmth this summer is expected given the lingering heat from the subsiding El Niño event that has added to the continued heating by emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.”
The impacts of rising temperatures
Increasing temperatures are contributing to extreme weather events across the globe, including Hurricane Beryl—the earliest category-five hurricane to ever form in the Atlantic.
This rise in temperatures also has significant impacts on polar regions. In July, the daily extent of Antarctic sea ice was the second-lowest recorded for the time of year, significantly lower than the levels seen in all years before 2023. By mid-month, it nearly approached the record-low levels recorded in 2023.
Additionally, wildfires have been devastating regions in Canada and Brazil. In Brazil, fires have burned more than 1.3 million hectares in the multi-national Pantanal wetland, one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.
These record-breaking temperatures also have major impacts on humans all over the world and are especially threatening for older adults, children, pregnant people and people with medical conditions. This summer, more than 1,300 people died during the Hajj pilgrimage, which occurred during extreme heat.
In Mexico, at least 124 deaths were reported due to the heat this year, with more than 2,300 people experiencing heat stroke, dehydration and sunburns. Emergency services in Veracruz, a city in Mexico, experienced an increase in heat-related emergencies, especially in areas with open-air spaces and warehouses.
Dr. Burgess warns that with temperatures and their effects at unprecedented levels, conditions will worsen if humanity does not take action to address climate change. “The temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense, with more devastating consequences for people and the planet unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Staff Writer (Volume 50) — Vanessa is a fourth-year student double majoring in Psychology and English with a minor in Education. When she’s not working or studying, she enjoys picking up a good novel and escaping into the world of reading or playing some of her favourite songs on her record player. She also loves writing. You can often find her journaling throughout her day.