EU warns 2024 could be record-breaking hot year

A brief respite from record-breaking heat in July hasn't changed the alarming trajectory: 2024 is increasingly poised to be the hottest year in history, according to the EU's climate service.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) stated last month was the second warmest on record books going back to 1940, only slightly cooler than July 2023.

Between June 2023 and June 2024, every month eclipsed its own temperature record for the time of the year.

"The streak of record temperatures has come to a close, but by the slimmest of margins," said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S.

Notably, last month the global average temperature was 16.91 degrees Celsius, only 0.04C below July 2023, according to C3S's monthly bulletin.

But "the overall situation hasn't changed, climate crisis is deepening," said Burgess.

"The devastating effects of climate change started well before 2023 and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach net zero," she further said.

As recorded from January to July global temperatures were 0.70C above the 1991-2020 average.

This irregularity would need to drop considerably for the remaining year for 2024 not to be hotter than 2023 -- "making it increasingly likely that 2024 is going to be the warmest year on record", said C3S.

It may be mentioned here, July 2024 was 1.48C warmer than the estimated average temperatures for the month during the period 1850-1900, before the world started to swiftly burn fossil fuels.

This has resulted in unbearable heat for hundreds of millions of people.

C3S researchers found that while the switch from El Niño to La Niña was underway, ocean air temperatures in many parts of the world continued to be exceptionally high.

On Wednesday, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo reflected on a year of "widespread, intense and extended heatwaves".

"This is becoming too hot to handle," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)