 "June 2024 sets record as hottest in history, shows EU climate monitor")
June this year has set a new record as the hottest June in history, with global temperatures continuing to reach unprecedented highs, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
This marks the 13th consecutive month that has set a record for being the warmest in the ERA5 data series for the respective month. Although unusual, a similar sequence of monthly global temperature records occurred in 2015-2016.
Based on ERA5 data, June’s temperature exceeded the estimated average for the pre-industrial period (1850-1900) by 1.50 degrees Celsius. This marked the 12th consecutive month where the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold was met or surpassed.
Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), said, “June marks the 13th consecutive month of record-breaking global temperatures, and the 12th in a row above 1.5 degrees Celsius with respect to pre-industrial. This is more than a statistical oddity and it highlights a large and continuing shift in our climate. Even if this specific streak of extremes ends at some point, we are bound to see new records being broken as the climate continues to warm. This is inevitable, unless we stop adding GHG into the atmosphere and the oceans.”
High temperatures recorded in Europe
The C3S stated that the average temperature in Europe for June 2024 was 1.57 degrees Celsius higher than the June average from 1991 to 2020, marking it as the joint second warmest June on record for the continent.
The ongoing series of unprecedented high temperatures is linked to the effects of human-driven climate change coupled with the El Nino weather pattern.
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Temperatures in Europe were significantly higher than average in the southeastern regions and Turkey, while they were close to or below average in western Europe, Iceland, and northwestern Russia.
Heatwave grips Southern Europe
Southern Europe is currently grappling with an intense heatwave, raising worries about public health and the potential for wildfires. Temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius have been recorded in various regions, and further heatwaves are expected across the continent in the coming days.
Greece is facing its earliest documented heatwave and has issued urgent advisories for travellers following several fatalities during June's unprecedented high temperatures. As a precaution, tourist attractions such as the Acropolis have temporarily shut down.
Similarly, Italy experienced temperatures reaching up to 42 degrees Celsius in mid-June, prompting multiple heatwave alerts throughout the month.
Melting ice at the poles
The Arctic sea ice extent was 3 per cent below the average, similar to the levels seen in most years since 2010. The Antarctic sea ice extent was 12 per cent below the average, marking the second-lowest extent for June in the satellite data records. The lowest June extent, a decrease of 16 per cent, was recorded in 2023, showed UN’s C3S.