The earth experienced its second hottest month and second hottest July on record last month with global average temperatures being slightly lower than July 2023—ending a dire 13-month streak of record-breaking temperatures for every single month.
July 2024 was the second hottest July and second hottest month on record.
According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the average global surface air temperature for July 2024 was 16.91 degrees Celcius.
Last month’s average temperature was only 0.04 degrees Celcius lower than July 2023, which remains the hottest July and hottest month ever.
The slight dip compared to July 2023 also means the end of a 13-month run where monthly temperature records were continuously broken.
The average temperature in July was also 1.48°C higher than the pre-industrial average, marking an end to a 12-month streak of temperatures that were 1.5°C above pre-industrial numbers—a critical climate change benchmark.
Despite the end of the streaks, the Earth experiences its two hottest days on record on July 22 and 23—with global average temperatures hitting 17.16°C and 17.15°C respectively.
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C3S Deputy Director Samantha Burgess said: “The streak of record-breaking months has come to an end, but only by a whisker. Globally, July 2024 was almost as warm as July 2023, the hottest month on record…The overall context hasn’t changed, our climate continues to warm. The devastating effects of climate change started well before 2023 and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach net-zero.”
1.5°C. That is the preferred limit for the increase in global temperatures compared to pre-industrial numbers as per the 2015 Paris Agreement signed by world leaders.