the hottest month on record
I’m sure we’ve all heard the news: July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded.
With a global average temperature of 62.5°F in the first 3 weeks, last month broke the previous temperature record of 61.9°F in July 2019. Not only was this the hottest month on record, it was likely the hottest month in the past 120,000 years.
Earth has experienced extremely warm temperatures in the past – in fact, global average temperatures were probably in the 90s several times over the last 500 million years. But those temperature fluctuations either happened gradually or were caused by natural disasters like volcanic eruptions.
Current warming is happening so rapidly that it is comparable to environmental catastrophes of the past, and humans are the ones causing it.
By burning fossil fuels, we are releasing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) into the atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping into space, trapping it near Earth and heating our planet.
This is happening at such an accelerated rate that this record-breaking July could be an average summer within the next few years.
Some of the harrowing climate statistics from this summer include:
Ocean temperatures in South Florida reached an unprecedented 101°F, threatening marine species.
Phoenix, AZ experienced 31 consecutive days over 110°F – a new record.
Heat extremes in agricultural regions of the Southwestern U.S. and Northern Mexico resulted in the loss of cattle, corn, soybeans, coffee, and sugarcane.
244 million people in the U.S. felt July temperatures that are at least 3x more likely to be due to anthropogenic climate change.
And these could all be regular occurrences within the next 5-10 years.
Extreme heat is actually the deadliest weather event in the U.S., killing approximately 1,300 people per year. Hot summer temperatures can cause heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and exacerbate underlying health conditions, especially in older populations.
In the future, we can expect more heat-related illness and death, particularly in urban areas.
Rapid global warming is also dangerous for other species. Many plants and animals have even narrower temperature ranges than humans and will either have to migrate to cooler regions or risk extinction.
Hot ocean temperatures are frightening as well. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current (AMOC) is a large-scale current that moves water and nutrients around the entire Atlantic Ocean. As temperatures warm and glacial ice melts into the ocean, AMOC has become destabilized and there are concerns it could collapse entirely before the end of the century, completely disrupting global weather patterns and ecosystems.
July 2023 was a warning. We all experienced the hottest month of our lives, and the consequences of climate change have become clearer and more tangible.
Unless, as a planet, we divest from fossil fuels and prioritize the health and safety of the Earth and our people, we will continue living July 2023 indefinitely.