July 2023: the hottest month in history

Era of global boiling - 14th August 2023

July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded. This has raised concerns about global warming, especially after an extremely hot June. July 2023 saw 21 record breaking hot days, with July 6th as the hottest single day ever.

The 30 hottest months on record were during the last 25 years, but July 2023 was extreme. The world's average temperature rose to 16.95 degrees celsius, up by 0.33 degrees from the previous record in July 2019.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres responded, "The era of global warming has ended. The era of global boiling has arrived." Guterres addressed the G20 nations, who are responsible for 80 percent of carbon emissions. He's demanding that they shift from fossil fuels to green energy sources.

Heatwaves swept across the globe where temperatures rose by 1 degree celsius in China, 2 degrees in North America and 2.5 degrees in the Mediterranean. These rises caused wildfires in Greece, Tunisia, Algeria and Italy, which scorched over 100 thousand hectares and resulted in ecological and economic disaster.

Scientists forecast more of the same for the future. They warn that temperatures could increase by 1.5 degrees celsius in one of the next five years. This would bring more frequent extreme weather like wildfires and hurricanes.

Climate scientist Friederike Otto stated, "We have to live with these and make it possible for people to live with these extreme conditions in summers. They are not rare. And the later we stop burning fossil fuels, the more frequent they become."