September 6th 2024.
As the scorching summer sun beat down on Ourense, northern Spain, a man sought relief by cooling himself with water. The summer of 2024 was unlike any other, as it was declared the hottest on record by climate experts. This means that it is very likely that this year will also go down in history as the warmest globally.
According to Copernicus, an EU agency that monitors global warming, the average temperature during the northern meteorological summer (June, July, and August) was 16.8°C, which is 0.03°C warmer than the previous record set just last year. Interestingly, while the UK experienced its coolest summer since 2015 with an average temperature of 14.37°C, many parts of Europe were hit by extreme heat. Countries like Austria and Spain saw their warmest summers ever, while Finland tied with Switzerland for its joint warmest summer.
In the province of Malaga in southern Spain, temperatures soared to a high of 44.3°C, with a minimum of 30.7°C one night, as reported by the SUR in English newspaper. The heat was not limited to Spain, as Athens, Greece was also hit by devastating wildfires in August.
Austria saw a significant increase in temperature, with an average of 2.2°C higher than the average temperature from 1991 to 2020. News outlets like Newsflix questioned if the summer would ever end, as temperatures reached a sweltering 20°C.
Even countries not known for their heat, like Sweden and Finland, experienced unusually hot summers. Uppsala, a city north of Stockholm, recorded a high of 32°C on June 28, which is typically a rarity as temperatures rarely surpass 20°C. Lapland, a popular winter destination, saw its warmest summer in history, with an average temperature of 14-16.5°C in the north and 18.5°C in the south, about two degrees higher than normal, according to Finland's national weather service.
Copernicus has been recording temperatures since 1940, but records from the mid-19th century show that the last decade has consistently been the hottest since regular measurements began. In fact, some scientists believe that this is the hottest summer in 120,000 years.
While July was the first month in over a year that did not set a record, the scorching June temperatures were enough to make this summer the hottest on record, according to Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo. He also noted that August was the 13th out of 14 months where global temperatures had risen by 1.5°C. While this may not seem like a significant increase, it greatly increases the likelihood of extreme weather events like heatwaves, wildfires, and flooding.
Buontempo also mentioned that the dew point, a measure of humidity, was likely at or near record highs this summer, adding to the discomfort and danger of the extreme heat.
Despite the clear evidence of the worsening effects of climate change, some are still not taking the issue seriously. Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist, warned that we are becoming desensitized to the alarming signs of a changing climate, comparing it to living in a war zone with constant bombings and gunfire. She emphasized the urgent need for action to address the root causes of these extreme weather events.
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