«The era of global boiling has begun», UN alarm:so July 2023 risks being the hottest month ever

According to experts from the European Copernicus service and the International Meteorological Organization, the Earth may have entered an exceptional period of heat that will continue in the coming years

In the weeks in which all of Italy – from North to South – finds himself dealing with the consequences of climate change, the Earth is preparing to break yet another record.“The first three weeks of July were the hottest on record and the month is on track to be the hottest ever and the hottest July ever.”The estimates come from data from the European Copernicus service and the International Meteorological Organization (WMO).During the first and third weeks of the current month, the global average temperature temporarily crossed the threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.The limit indicated by the scientific community within which to maintain the increase in Earth's temperatures to avoid the most serious effects of climate change.For the first 23 days of July, Copernicus estimates, the average global temperature was 16.95°C.Barring any surprises, July 2023 should become the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, beating the previous record of 16.63°C set in July 2019.

Heat waves and fires

The umpteenth increase in temperatures, explain Copernicus and the WMO, is linked «to the heat waves in much of North America, Asia and Europe, which together with the fires in Canada and Greece have had important impacts on people's health, on environment and economies".Last July 6 was the hottest day on record, with the average global surface thermometer reaching 17.08 degrees, thus surpassing the previous record set on August 13, 2016 (16.80°C).A decisive contribution also came from the temperature of the sea surfaces, which since May have recorded values ​​well above the seasonal averages.«The extreme weather that affected many millions of people in July is unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a glimpse of the future.The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever,” warned Petteri Taalas, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization.In recent days, China also set a new temperature record:52.2°C, recorded in the city of Turpan - in Xinjiang - on 16 July.The exceptional heat wave has also hit Europe, with the southern regions still having to deal with values ​​well above the seasonal average, despite the record of 48.8°C recorded in Sicily in 2021 has not been exceeded.

According to experts, the Earth may have entered an exceptional period of heat that will certainly not end this year.A situation to which El Niño also contributed, a climatic phenomenon that occurs on average every five years and causes a strong warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean.According to the WMO, there is a 98% chance that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record and a 66% chance of temporarily exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average for at least one of five years.The Secretary General of the UN António Guterres spoke of the end of the era of global warming and the beginning of “global boiling”.According to the number one of the United Nations, «it is still possible to limit the increase in temperature to 1.5°C and avoid the worst consequences of climate change.But only with drastic and immediate actions."Guterres then added that it is undeniable to say that "humans are responsible" for what is happening and launched a new appeal to citizens, companies and governments:«The air is unbreathable, the heat is unbearable.And the levels of fossil fuel profits and climate inertia are unacceptable."

Photo credits:EPA/Ju Huanzong | Tourists protect themselves from the sun in Beijing, China (June 23, 2023)