Temperature-related extreme events will only become more intense if action not taken, warns deputy director of Copernicus
The summer of 2024 has set new temperature benchmarks globally, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) released Thursday.
Global average temperatures for June to August reached 0.69C above the 1991-2020 average, surpassing the previous record of 0.66C set in 2023, according to the European Union's climate monitor.
Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, with temperatures soaring to 1.54C above average, exceeding the previous record of 1.34C from 2022.
August 2024 tied with August 2023 as the warmest August globally, with an average surface air temperature of 16.82C, 0.71C above the average. It marked the 13th month in a 14-month period where global average surface air temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, C3S noted.
The 12-month period from September 2023 to August 2024 was also the warmest on record, at 0.76C above the average and 1.64C above pre-industrial levels, according to the report.
The year-to-date (January to August 2024) global average temperature anomaly is 0.70C above the average, making it increasingly likely that 2024 will be the warmest year on record, Copernicus said.
"The temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense, with more devastating consequences for people and the planet, unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Samantha Burgess, deputy director of C3S, warned.
