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August set a new global heat record, Copernicus says
Copernicus put global average air temperatures in August at 16.96 degrees Celsius, topping the prior monthly record by 0.01 degree, while ocean temperatures also hit unprecedented highs.
SCMP Economy, citing the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, reported that August was the hottest single month ever recorded globally, and that ocean temperatures reached unprecedented levels as western Europe wrapped up what was described as its warmest summer.
Copernicus said its observations for the air temperature mean August beat the previous all time monthly record set in July 2023 by 0.01 degrees Celsius. It also said the two months could be treated as joint highest given the narrow difference.
Scientists told the outlet that evidence from sources such as ice cores, tree rings and coral skeletons helps place current conditions in a longer historical context, and that humans have not seen temperatures as hot as today for, arguably, at least the last 100,000 years.
The report added that human activity, primarily burning coal, oil and gas, has warmed the planet by roughly 1.4 degrees since pre industrial times and has increased both the severity and the likelihood of extreme weather, according to Copernicus figures.