Monday was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth, breaking a record set just one day before, data show.
The global average temperature reached 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit on July 22, breaking Sunday’s record of 62.76 degrees, according to preliminary data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Although Sunday’s temperature was nearly indistinguishable from the mark set in July 2023, the difference between Sunday’s and Monday’s temperatures was larger than typical day-to-day variations, according to the climate monitor.
“We now have a new record, and its value is sufficiently large to indicate with some confidence that this has exceeded the record set only last year,” Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo said in a statement.
Annual maximum daily global temperatures have been substantially higher in 2023 and 2024 than those recorded in previous years, according to Copernicus data.
Additionally, the last 10 years have been the 10 years with the highest annual maximum daily average temperatures.
“We are now in truly uncharted territory,” Buontempo said after Sunday’s record. “And as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years.”
The climate monitor said the sudden increase in daily global average temperature may be related to temperatures well above average in Antarctica.
The record also comes as wildfires continue to sweep across the western United States and Canada.
It is possible that 2024 could be the warmest year on record, but that depends on when and how strongly La Niña, a natural climate pattern associated with cold temperatures, develops, according to Copernicus.
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The annual maximum global average temperature usually takes place between late June and early August, so it is possible the record could be broken again this year.
“The event is still ongoing and it is possible the date of the peak may still change, but our data suggest we may see slightly lower temperatures in the next few days,” Buontempo said.