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TUESDAY WAS THE hottest day ever recorded as the global average temperature leaped to a record high for the second day in a row, according to preliminary readings by US meteorologists published today.
The average daily air temperature on the Earth’s surface reached 17.18 degrees Celsius, according to data compiled by an organisation attached to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
That far outstripped even the previous day’s record measurement, a fresh sign of the impact of climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
The global average temperature reached 17 degrees Celsius for the first time on Monday, according to data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Prediction, whose records go back to 1979.
That topped the previous daily record of 16.92 Celsius dating to 24 July 2022.
For comparison, the world’s average air temperature, which fluctuates between 12 Celsius and just under 17 Celsius on any given day over the year, averaged 16.2 degrees at the beginning of July from 1979 to 2000.
This reported record has yet to be corroborated by other measurements, but could be broken again as the northern hemisphere’s summer begins.
The EU climate monitoring unit Copernicus confirmed in a statement to AFP today that Monday had been the hottest day in its dataset going back to 1940. It could not yet confirm the data for Tuesday.
The average global temperature typically continues to rise until the end of July or early August.
Even last month, average global temperatures were the warmest Copernicus had ever recorded for the start of June.
Temperatures are likely to rise even further above historical averages over the next year with the onset of an El Nino weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, which the World Meteorological Organization confirmed on Monday is now underway.
In addition, human activity –- mainly the burning of fossil fuels -– is continuing to emit roughly 40 billion tonnes of planet-warming CO2 into the atmosphere every year.
In 2015, the Paris Agreement called for countries to try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and not to allow it to surpass 2 degrees.
Currently, the world is around 1.1 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times and is already experiencing impacts of the climate crisis such as heatwaves, droughts and melting ice sheets.
The scale of recent changes to the climate are “unprecedented” over hundreds and thousands of years, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and it is “unequivocal” that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.
Global surface temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5 and 2 degrees unless “deep reductions” are made to emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
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Records began approx 150 years ago, at the end of a cold period. The only way is up. The planet earth is 4.5 billion years old. Perspective please
@Finbarr Dowling: Exactly – and there’s about another 4.5 billion years left in the old dog yet. Everybody (by everybody I mean The Journal) needs to relax.
@Quite Frank: actually about 800 million years for life on earth. Ironically carbon dioxide will be eventually be weathered away into rocks in about 800 million years & plants will die out.
Civilisation likes/needs stable temperatures more so than nature.
@Finbarr Dowling: Some more perspective:
Global Temperature Chart, last 2000 years: https://i.imgur.com/FAhD6Fk.png
(The Mediaeval warm period does not appear on the chart as it only affected the Europe)
1. The Earth should be slowly cooling right now due to slow changes in the Earth’s orbit.
2. The Earth instead warmed 1.5°C in 250 years, 0.9°C in 50 years.
3. The warming rate is 25 times faster than the end of the last Ice Age (20,000 to 11,700 BP).
4. There is no natural reason for this warming.
5. The Seuss Effect confirms CO2 added to the atmosphere came from fossil fuels.
6. And we have known that CO2 is a greenhouse gas since the 1800s.
So by this point it is simple common sense that adding more CO2 and other greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere warms the planet.
Also, temperature records based on thermometer measurements go back 270 years. These show the Earth warmed 1.5°C above the pre-Industrial era (1850-1900 average), and 0.9°C of warming (60%) happened in the last 50 years (since 1970). See: Summary of Findings, Berkeley Earth.
And Proxy records of Global Temperatures go back 2 million years; these are based on stable isotopes, tree ring data, fossil corals, fossil pollen, cave speleothems etc.
Snyder, C.W., 2016. Evolution of global temperature over the past two million years. Nature, 538(7624), pp.226-228.
These records show the Earth is the hottest ever in 125,000 years. See: “Earth Is Warmer Than It’s Been in 125000 Years”
The rapidity of this warming trend is astounding.
The end of the last Ice Age (20,000 to 11,700 years ago) the Planet warmed by about 6°C over a span 8,300 years, a warming rate of 0.07°C per 100 years. The Earth is currently warming at a rate of 1.8°C per 100 years, 25 times faster than the end of the last Ice Age.
This warming is not a natural event:
The Sun has not got brighter (confirmed by measurement of the Sun’s energy output), volcanic eruptions generally cool the Earth not warm it, and the Suess Effect shows the 2.5 trillion tonnes of CO2 added to the atmosphere mainly came from us burning fossil fuels.
https://www.radiocarbon.com/the-suess-effect-why-is-it-important/
Also, the greenhouse effect and global warming is not a new concept in climate science, it is over 100 years old. It is simple common sense at this point that adding vast quantities of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere warms the planet.
The physics of the greenhouse effect was first explained 200 years ago by Joseph Fourier (1820s), and we measured directly that CO2 and Water Vapour are greenhouse gasses in the 19th Century (Tyndall 1859 and Arrhenius 1896). And one of the first warnings of climate change linked to burning fossil fuels was published in a newspaper in 1912.
See: John Tyndall – the forgotten co-discoverer of climate science (born 1820 in Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow):
Arrhenius, S., 1896. XXXI. On the influence of carbonic acid [CO2] in the air upon the temperature of the ground. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 41(251), pp.237-276.
1912: “The furnaces of the world are now burning about 2,000,000,000 tons of coal a year. When this is burned, uniting with oxygen, it adds about 7,000,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere yearly. This tends to make the air a more effective blanket for the Earth and to raise its temperature. The effect may be considerable in a few centuries.”
They were only wrong about the timeline, it’s happening quicker than predicted.
@Finbarr Dowling: Also, see this report:
The economics of climate change by Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd., predicts even if we meet Paris Agreement goals (increasingly unlikely) then climate change disasters could cost the World’s economy 11-14% of GDP, or as much as $23 Trillion annually by 2050.
“Our analysis indicates that significant economic damage will occur, even with
fulfilment of pledges and targets on climate change. The associated and baseline
temperature-rise scenario by mid-century (2°C to 2.6°C and x10 multiplicative for
(un)known unknowns), shows a loss of global economic output relative to a world
without climate change of 11% and 14%, respectively. The regional discrepancies
are large, and a clear north-south divide emerges. However, no country is immune to climate change. In a more extreme scenario, one of unmitigated climate change and above-average 3.2°C warming, losses could amount up to 18% by mid-century.”
See: “Climate Change Could Cut World Economy by $23 Trillion in 2050, Insurance Giant Warns”
Full report:
Is this plausible, if we do nothing?
Well Europe spent $560 billion cleaning up after extreme weather events between 1980-2021 ($56B in 2021):
https://www.eea.europa.eu/ims/economic-losses-from-climate-related
The EU report also estimates 194,699 weather related deaths.
There is a worsening trend too.
In another 5 Billion years the earth will be destroyed by the sun when it becomes a red giant.. In the meantime we’ll probably have another few mass extinctions which happen all on their own caused by Mother Nature.. The media and money hungry governments would have you think us humans are the cause of the weather, a ludicrous thought when you sit down and think about it.. The Earth is still warming up from the last ice age and it will continue to do so.. Taxes isn’t going to stop it..
@Antbony Kearns: So can you explain the strong correlation between temperature rises and human pollution? Why has the temperature increase picked up so much speed?
Its a mighty summer we are having. Long may it last
@Conor Glancy: only 13 degrees on the first of July though!! Flipping cold!
So vandalising all those SUV tyres had no effect, Well I’m shocked it didn’t work.
lol
For anyone wondering how you can make a practical impact its simple, lower the curve in energy by doing energy heavy tasks at off peak times. Also, keep energy use to a minimum or zero when not needed. All machines on standby are still using energy.
@Lad: Here’s a simple idea. Stop taking water out of the earth.
couple more cycle lanes and an aul carbon tax or ten will sort that sure….
Sure it’s grand to be warm instead of the usual cowld
The Climate is Changing naturally, the arrogance of Man, we dont get to change the Climate, it happens anyway. Remember we still have Polar ice, we are leaving an Ice age, twice previously the Poles had no ice, ie the Planet was warmer .We could burn the entire Planer, and still the Sun could raise or decrease our surface temperature, we dont get to change the Climate, it does so itself
@Gavin Power: Now now Gavin, no Hate Facts around here.
Sorry Dave. Your Data is incorrect and a misrepresentation. Quite an easy thing to do when you play around with mean, median and mode.
@Keith+P McDonald: Your comment makes no sense, this is just random words thrown together. All you prove is that some people rather upvote nonsense, then agree with what I wrote.
@Keith+P McDonald: This is fine? https://imgur.com/a/4KVKqai
We had to put on the heating last night as it was 12C outside in July.
Ireland is still a cold country and global warming will improve our climate.
Great drying out!
@Alan Kennedy: Not in Dublin there isn’t!
Temperature records go back 2 million years, to the beginning of the last Ice Age. These records show the Earth is now the hottest it’s ever been in the last 125,000 years, possibly longer. Weather station measurements show the Planet’s land surface warmed by 1.5°C in 250 years, and 0.9°C in 50 years, a current warming rate of 1.8 °C per century.
1. The rapidity of this warming is astounding:
At the end of the last Ice Age, 20,000 to 11,700 years ago, the Planet warmed by about 6°C over a span of about 8,300 years, a warming rate of 0.07°C per 100 years. The Earth is currently warming at a rate of 1.8°C per 100 years, 25 times faster.
This warming is predicted to increase dangerous heatwaves, droughts and storms, eroding 10s of trillions of Dollars (18%) off the world’s economy by mid-Century, via 0.3 – 0.5% of global GDP spent each year cleaning up the mess caused by increased climate disasters (see: The economics of climate change by Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd.)
2. This warming is not a natural event:
The Sun has not got brighter (confirmed by measurement of the Sun’s energy output), volcanic eruptions generally cool the Earth not warm it, ocean currents redistribute heat not create it. The Suess Effect shows the 2.5 trillion tonnes of CO2 added to the atmosphere mainly came from burning fossil fuels rather than a natural source (also see the Keeling Curve).
By the way, each year, burning fossil fuels emit 60 times more CO2 than all the World’s volcanoes combined.
3. The greenhouse effect and global warming is not a new science:
The physics of the greenhouse effect was first described 200 years ago by Joseph Fourier (1820s), and scientists first measured that CO2 and Water Vapour are greenhouse gasses in the 19th Century (Tyndall, 1859 and Arrhenius, 1896). And one of the first warnings that burning fossil fuels would cause climate to warm was published in Popular Mechanics in 1912, this is from a newspaper that summarised the Popular Mechanics article:
“The furnaces of the world are now burning about 2,000,000,000 tons of coal a year. When this is burned, uniting with oxygen, it adds about 7,000,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere yearly. This tends to make the air a more effective blanket for the Earth and to raise its temperature. The effect may be considerable in a few centuries.”
They were only wrong about the timeline, because the rate of fossil fuel burning vastly increased, so warming happened quicker than predicted (see Global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels – Our World in Data).
Summary:
1. The Earth should be slowly cooling due to very gradual changes in the Earth’s orbit.
2. But the Earth’s land surface rapidly warmed 1.5°C in 250 years, 0.9°C in 50 years.
3. Current warming rate is 25 times faster than the end of the last Ice Age.
4. There is no natural reason for this warming, it coincides with the advent of the Industrial Revolution
5. We have known that CO2 is a greenhouse gas since the 1800s
6. global temperature rise mirrors CO2 increase (see the Keeling Curve)
7. This warming is due to humans adding CO2 and other greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere.
8. If we do not avert warming, climate disasters will cost the World’s economy 10s of Trillions of Dollars (c. 18% of Global GDP) by mid-Century
See:
Global Temperature Chart, last 2000 years: https://i.imgur.com/FAhD6Fk.png
(The Mediaeval warm period does not appear on the chart as it only affected Europe)
Summary of Findings, Berkeley Earth
Earth Is Warmer Than It’s Been in 125000 Years
Snyder, C.W., 2016. Evolution of global temperature over the past two million years. Nature, 538(7624), pp.226-228.
Climate impacts ‘to cost world $7.9 trillion’ by 2050
https://www.radiocarbon.com/the-suess-effect-why-is-it-important/
Which emits more carbon dioxide: volcanoes or human activities?
Molena, F., 1912. Remarkable weather of 1911: the effect of the combustion of coal on the climate–what scientists predict for the future. Popular Mechanics Magazine. March, pp.339-342.
John Tyndall – the forgotten co-discoverer of climate science
Arrhenius, S., 1896. XXXI. On the influence of carbonic acid [CO2] in the air upon the temperature of the ground. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, 41(251), pp.237-276.
@David Jordan: Correction:
The economics of climate change by Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd., predicts unchecked climate change (cleaning up climate disasters) could damage the World’s economy 11-14% of GDP, or as much as $23 Trillion annually by 2050 (the 18% figure is for an unlikely worsening emissions scenario).
“Climate Change Could Cut World Economy by $23 Trillion in 2050, Insurance Giant Warns”
Full report:
Is this plausible, if we do nothing?
Well Europe spent $560 billion cleaning up after extreme weather events between 1980-2021 ($56B in 2021):
https://www.eea.europa.eu/ims/economic-losses-from-climate-related
The EU report also estimates 194,699 weather related deaths.
There is a worsening trend too.
The science is not yet settled. There is no consensus. Come to India and China for example and listen to what they say on this theory of man made global warming – oops climate change. Such arrogance. The lunacy of allowing Eamonn Ryan and his bunch of yes men advisers to control the levers of power beggars belief
@Keith+P McDonald: ‘The science is settled’.
Is that expression a result of outstanding arrogance or outstanding ignorance?
Great…..greta…tager
This is a computer generated modelling as opposed to on the ground readings, which is being presented as fact. Come on Journal your better than this.
@Brian O’Grady: “Come on Journal your better than this.” I very much doubt it.
Bring back martin king he will sort it
Just don’t look up buddies.
Here I have a radio with solar panels (on top and side; yeah we Nigerians invent alot of crazy cool things). The Federal government also issued heavy flood caution to 14 states of the Federation (it rainy (wet) season right now started in March ends in August and then dry (super hot) for 7 months with our version of winter which is desert ice in December and January).
@Basit Saliu: fair play to you lot..you invented the 60 million lottery that i won yesterday…wait till i tell the mrs,she will be over the moon with delight !!
@Basit Saliu: And pass on my gratitude to that Prince of yours who’s shortly going to lodge a million Euros to my bank account.
FYI: During the dry (super hot) season there is literally zero rainfall for 7 months.
@Colette Kearns: My brother told me on WhatsApp on monday that it was 17 degrees in Dundalk. Here even with the rainy (wet) season we get 34 degrees 5 out of 7 days.
Whatever you do lads don’t look at the science, who needs bad news it might upset people.
@michael mcsharry: I look out the window to see the weather. Looks wet and damp and some sunny spells. Same as always. .
Putting the fear of God in ya. Taxed to the hilt.
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