World sees record August heat for second year running

A person walks along a trail as the sun sets on July 16, 2023, in Death Valley National Park, Calif. [Courtesy, VOA]

The world saw record average temperatures in August for the second year running, according to preliminary data from the EU's Copernicus climate monitor seen by AFP on Tuesday.

While the exact official average temperature for last month is not yet known, Copernicus's Climate Pulse data tool has so far indicated August 2024 should be on par with last year's record of 16.82 degrees Celsius (62.28 Fahrenheit).

Scientists warn that these unprecedented temperatures are in large part driven by man-made climate change, which is causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events.

Australia, Japan, several Chinese provinces and Norway's Svalbard Arctic Archipelago all experienced their hottest August on record, according to various meteorological agencies.

It continues a near-unbroken 15-month streak where each month eclipsed its own temperature record for the time of year, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

Only July 2024 was measured by C3S to be slightly cooler than July 2023, though the US NOAA weather agency believes July 2024 to be the hottest month on record.

Either way, 2023 was the world's warmest year since weather data-keeping began in the 19th century, according to the various climate monitors.

And at the beginning of August, C3S had already warned that it was "increasingly likely" 2024 would surpass it.

It said that July 2024 was 1.48 C (34.66 F) warmer than the estimated average temperatures for the month during the period 1850-1900, before the world started to rapidly burn fossil fuels -- the biggest contributor to climate change.

Climate researchers dedicated to studying the weather in the period before the advent of meteorological instruments believe the current high temperatures to be unseen in at least 120,000 years.