July 4, 2023 ~ Hottest Day Ever Recorded on Earth ~ More Coming!

‘Terrifying’: Tuesday Was Hottest Day Ever, Breaking Record Set Just 24 Hours Earlier

From an Article by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, July 3, 2023

“Not a milestone we should be celebrating,” said one climate scientist. “It’s a death sentence for people and ecosystems.” Data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction shows that the average global temperature reached 17.01°C, or 62.62°F, on Monday — making it the hottest day ever recorded.

That record lasted just 24 hours. On Tuesday, the global average temperature peaked at a new all-time high of 17.18°C as regions worldwide — from Asia to Africa to the U.S. South — reeled from dangerous heatwaves.

As Bloomberg reported, “The heat this summer has already put millions of people around the world at risk.”

“China is experiencing a scorching new heat wave less than two weeks after temperatures broke records in Beijing,” the outlet noted. “Extreme heat in India last month has been linked to deaths in some of its poorest regions. Last week saw a dangerous heat dome cover Texas and northern Mexico, while the U.K. baked in its hottest June on record.”

Earth’s hottest day came after the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared the onset of El Niño conditions, which are marked by warming surface waters in the Pacific.

“The onset of El Niño will greatly increase the likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat in many parts of the world and in the ocean,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement Tuesday. “The declaration of an El Niño by WMO is the signal to governments around the world to mobilize preparations to limit the impacts on our health, our ecosystems, and our economies.”

“Early warnings and anticipatory action of extreme weather events associated with this major climate phenomenon are vital to save lives and livelihoods,” he added.

Record temperatures and intensifying extreme weather, including an unprecedented wildfire season in Canada, come as world leaders are facing urgent calls to rein in fossil fuels—the primary driver of the global climate emergency—at the upcoming COP28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world’s top oil producers.

“People around the world are already enduring climate impacts, from heatwaves, wildfires, and air pollution to floods and extreme storms,” Jeni Miller, executive director of the California-based Global Climate and Health Alliance, toldThe Guardian on Tuesday. “Global warming is also exacerbating crop losses and the spread of infectious diseases, as well as migration.”

“Governments must prepare to deliver a commitment at COP28 to phase out all fossil fuels, and a just transition to renewable energy for all,” Miller said.

Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Britain’s Imperial College London, told Reuters that the hottest global temperature ever recorded is “not a milestone we should be celebrating.”

“This is a death sentence for people and ecosystems,” Otto added.

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See Also: “Millions swelter under extreme heat as climate crisis tightens grip on US – as it happened ~ Heat dome of high pressure hovers over Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma as thousands remain without power in Chicago with heavy rains knocking down trees and power lines,” From the Daily News reports of The Guardian, July 3, 2023

Summary of the day ~ Here’s a recap of recent developments:

§ ~ Millions across the US have been caught up in dangerous weather conditions over the weekend and are braced for further extreme conditions ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, as thunderstorms and intense heat continue to affect much of the country.

§ ~ As of Monday, 36 million people are under excessive heat warnings in the US, particularly in the south and western regions. Record high temperatures in some places will likely remain as many gear up to celebrate the Independence Day holiday on Tuesday. A large swath of the US, from northern California through Washington state, will bake under intense heat for multiple days this week.

§ ~ Many midwest cities are also dealing with the aftermath of severe rain and flooding. Weekend thunderstorms in Chicago flooded streets and highways, as nearly nine inches of rain fell in some areas of the city in just a few hours.

§ ~ Many in the midwest are still without power after the weekend storms. A 33-year-old woman died in her parked car in St Louis when a tree fell on the vehicle, and a five-year-old boy was killed in his bedroom when a tree fell on his house in Jennings, Missouri, in St Louis county.

§ ~ More wildfire smoke is expected to return to the northern states of the US, less than a week after smoke from Canadian wildfires resulted in hazy skies and dangerous air quality across the US midwest and north-east.

§ ~ A woman has died due to heat-related issues while on a hike at Grand Canyon national park, according to authorities. The hiker, identified as a 57-year-old woman, was attempting an eight-mile hike when she fell unconscious, a park release said. Park officials said the high temperature at Tuweep was well over 100F (37C) degrees on Sunday.

§ ~ The target of keeping long-term global warming within 1.5C (2.7F) is moving out of reach, climate experts have warned, with countries failing to set more ambitious goals despite months of record-breaking heat on land and sea.