Summer 2024 was hottest on record, EU climate change monitor says

Summary

The European Climate Monitoring Service has reported that the summer of 2024 was the hottest on record globally, continuing the trend from 2023. With 13 out of the last 14 months being the warmest ever, the world has surpassed the 1.5°C warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement. El Niño and high sea surface temperatures are contributing factors. The report also highlights the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, such as heatwaves and wildfires, with significant carbon emissions from fires in Canada and Brazil.

Takeaways

• 🌡️ The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record globally, from June to August, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service.
• 📈 The trend of increasing global temperatures from 2023 has continued, indicating that the previous year's record was not an anomaly.
• 🌍 August 2024 was particularly notable as the warmest August ever, tying with August 2023.
• ⚠️ The global average temperature has now exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold set by the Paris Agreement for 13 consecutive months.
• 🌊 The lingering effects of a strong El Niño event from the previous year have contributed to the elevated temperatures, especially in sea surface temperatures.
• 🔥 The heat has led to more frequent and intense extreme climate events, including heatwaves and extreme precipitation.
• 🌳 Wildfires, both in Canada and globally, have been tracked by Copernicus, with significant carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.
• 🌎 Smoke from wildfires in western Canada and the north has been observed traveling across the Atlantic to Europe.
• 🇧🇷 Brazil also experienced significant wildfires in sensitive regions, which are being closely monitored.
• 🌿 The data serves as a warning that urgent action is needed to address the ongoing climate crisis and its impacts on global populations.

Q & A

What was the significance of the summer of 2024 according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service?

The summer of 2024 was the hottest summer ever recorded globally from June to August, confirming that the trend from the previous year was not an anomaly and that the trend of increasing temperatures is ongoing.

How does the summer of 2024 compare to the previous year in terms of global temperatures?

The summer of 2024 was on par with the summer of 2023, which was the hottest year on record, indicating that the global average temperature has remained at a record level.

What is the threshold of warming mentioned in the Paris Agreement, and has it been exceeded?

The threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius warming mentioned in the Paris Agreement has been exceeded for the last 13 months, signaling a critical point in global warming.

What role did El Nino play in the high temperatures experienced in 2024?

El Nino, a weather pattern experienced in the previous year, drove up temperatures and left a lot of warmth in the world, particularly in the seas, which contributed to the high temperatures even after it passed.

What is the average sea surface temperature mentioned in the script, and how does it contribute to global warming?

The average sea surface temperature is about 20.1 degrees Celsius, and since the seas cover about 70% of the Earth, they give off a lot of heat, contributing to global warming.

What are the implications of the ongoing high temperatures according to the senior scientist interviewed?

The ongoing high temperatures are a warning that urgent action is needed and a sign that as the climate continues to warm, more frequent and intense extreme climate events, such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation events, will occur.

How does the script describe the impact of wildfires on carbon emissions?

Wildfires, particularly in Canada and other parts of the world, are releasing vast amounts of carbon, contributing to global warming and climate change.

What visualization tool did Copernicus use to track wildfires and their impact?

Copernicus used an animation to visualize the smoke generated by wildfires in western Canada and the north, showing how it traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe.

What other region besides Canada experienced significant wildfires as mentioned in the script?

Brazil also experienced significant wildfires in a sensitive region, which is being monitored closely for its impact on global carbon emissions.

What does the script suggest about the future of extreme climate events due to the ongoing trend of global warming?

The script suggests that the ongoing trend of global warming will lead to more frequent and intense extreme climate events, which will have consequences for populations around the world.

Outlines

00:00

🌡️ Record-Breaking Global Heatwaves

The script discusses the extreme heat experienced globally during the summer of 2024, following the hottest year on record in 2023. The European Climate Monitoring Service, Copernicus, has reported that the summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded from June to August. This trend indicates a continuation of the upward trend in global temperatures, not an anomaly. The report also highlights that the global average temperature has exceeded the 1.5-degree threshold set by the Paris Agreement for 13 consecutive months. The script mentions the role of El Nino in driving up temperatures and the lasting effects on sea surface temperatures, which are still unusually high. The senior scientist interviewed warns of the need for urgent action due to the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation, which are becoming more common as the climate warms.

Keywords

💡Heat Waves

Heat waves refer to prolonged periods of excessively hot weather, which can have various adverse effects on human health, agriculture, and the environment. In the context of the video, heat waves are a significant part of the narrative as they are contributing to the record-breaking temperatures experienced globally, with the summer of 2024 being noted as the hottest on record.

💡Above Average Temperatures

Above average temperatures describe conditions where the temperature is higher than the normal or average for a specific period or location. The video emphasizes that not only are temperatures rising, but they are consistently surpassing historical averages, indicating a trend towards a warmer climate.

💡Copernicus

Copernicus is the European Climate Monitoring Service mentioned in the script, which released data confirming the extreme heat experienced globally. The organization plays a crucial role in the video's narrative by providing scientific data that supports the claims of ongoing climate change.

💡Global Warming

Global warming is the long-term increase in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activities, such as the emission of greenhouse gases. The video discusses how the data from Copernicus indicates that global temperatures have exceeded the 1.5-degree threshold outlined in the Paris Agreement, underscoring the urgency of addressing climate change.

💡Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is an international treaty aimed at combating climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an aim of 1.5 degrees Celsius. The video references this agreement to highlight how current global temperatures are approaching the limit set by the accord.

💡El Nino

El Nino is a climate pattern that leads to a warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting weather patterns globally. The script mentions El Nino as a contributing factor to the high temperatures experienced in the previous year, illustrating how natural climate phenomena can exacerbate the effects of global warming.

💡Sea Surface Temperatures

Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) refer to the temperature of the top layer of the ocean. The video script notes that SSTs are unusually high, which is significant because oceans absorb a large amount of heat, and thus high SSTs can contribute to global warming and influence weather patterns.

💡Wildfires

Wildfires are uncontrolled fires in wildland areas, often exacerbated by hot and dry conditions. The video discusses how wildfires, such as those in western Canada and Brazil, are both a symptom and a cause of climate change, as they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

💡Carbon Emissions

Carbon emissions refer to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The video mentions carbon emissions from wildfires as a significant concern, as they add to the overall greenhouse gas levels, further fueling global warming.

💡Climate Events

Climate events are weather-related occurrences that can be extreme or unusual due to climate change. The video script connects the increasing frequency and intensity of climate events, such as heatwaves and extreme precipitation, to the ongoing warming trend, indicating a direct impact on global populations.

💡Urgent Action

Urgent action in the context of the video refers to the immediate steps needed to mitigate the effects of climate change. The script emphasizes the need for such action, as the data suggests that the current trajectory of global warming is leading to more severe and frequent climate events, affecting populations worldwide.

Highlights

2023 was the hottest year on record, and the trend continues with the summer of 2024 being the hottest summer ever from June to August.

The European climate monitoring service, Copernicus, released data confirming the ongoing trend of global warming.

August 2024 was the warmest August on record, comparable to August 2023.

For more than a year, 13 out of 14 months have been the warmest on record.

Global temperatures have exceeded the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement for 13 consecutive months.

El Niño, a weather pattern experienced in 2023, contributed to the high temperatures.

Sea surface temperatures are unusually high, contributing to the ongoing heat.

Scientists warn that urgent action is needed to address the climate crisis.

As global temperatures rise, more frequent and intense extreme climate events are expected.

Wildfires in Canada and around the world are releasing significant amounts of carbon.

Copernicus tracks wildfires and their impact on global carbon emissions.

Smoke from wildfires in western Canada and the north has traveled across the Atlantic to Europe.

Brazil also experienced numerous wildfires in sensitive regions, drawing international attention.

The report highlights the interconnected nature of climate change impacts across different regions.

The data serves as a stark reminder of the need for global cooperation to combat climate change.

Transcripts

it has been a sweltering summer for

people right across the country with

heat waves and above average

temperatures but extreme heat hasn't

been confined to just Canada cernus the

European climate monitoring service just

released its latest Data cbc's

International climate correspondent

Susan ormiston joins us now live in

studio with more on this story so let's

talk about this report Susan what does

it find well you know after last year

2023 which was the hottest year on

record a lot of people wondered whether

this would continue or whether we would

see a little dip well the data that's

released this morning by cernus says

that globally it was the hottest summer

ever from June to August something that

is obvious to some people but the data

confirms this that the trend last year

was not an anomaly the trend is still

going up I spoke to the senior

scientist August

20124 was the warmest August on record

on par with August

2023 so um we are still at record level

of global average

temperature um and this has been the

case for more than a year now out of 14

month so according to our data 13 month

where the warmest on

record so the other thing is that uh the

data shows that we have now exceeded met

or exceeded the 1.5 degrees of warming

that has been a threshold in the Paris

agreement that we should not be

breaching and for the last uh 13 months

we have breach that it doesn't mean that

that's dead but we're getting very close

according to scientists to Breaking that

okay so speaking of the scientists what

are they saying about why the

temperatures are so high for so long

well in part it's El Nino which we

experienced last year a very strong El

Nino that's a weather pattern which

drove up temperatures up but also it

left a lot of warmth in our world so

especially the sea so the sea surface

temperatures are still unusually

abnormally high on average about uh 20.1

Dees C on average for our seas so it's

70% of the uh Earth so they're giving

off a lot of heat still so that's in

part why we're seeing it even though El

Nino seems to be passing through our

system and here's the senior scientist

once

more first it's it's a warning that

urgent action is

needed

um it's also a sign that as the climate

continues to

warm um as we reach This Global

temperature record we uh we extend

more frequent and more intense extreme

climate event whether it's Heat Wave

extreme precipitation event or or the

climate events with consequences for um

a lot of populations around the world

Natasha Copernicus also tracks uh

wildfires in this country and around the

world and what we're seeing again

although it seems it's not as severe in

this country the carbon that's being

emitted from wildfires in Canada and

some other parts of the world is

releasing vast amounts of carbon not as

much as last summer but very near to

that and they actually had an animation

I think we have it which is quite

interesting you can see at the top of

the map there Canada on the left and

that dark orange that's smoke and the

smoke is being generated by wildfires in

western Canada and in the north and

there you see it and it traveled across

the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Europe

you can see that quite clearly so this

is what's happened over our summer of

wildfires Brazil also saw a lot of

wildfires in a very sensitive region so

they're keeping an eye on that as well

okay really troubling interesting stuff

Susan orist our senior climate

International climate correspondent

thank you so much you're welcome