July 2023 was the hottest month since US temperature records started, according to data analyzed by scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.
NASA and NOAA: Record-Breaking Temperatures
Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate Advisor, highlighted the significance of this finding, noting that President Joe Biden's robust climate leadership gains even more urgency against the backdrop of record-breaking temperatures, wildfires, and floods.
Zaidi pointed out that Biden's climate-focused initiatives, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the utilization of the Defense Production Act for clean energy manufacturing, underscore the seriousness of the climate crisis.
NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) together found that the temperature anomaly for July 2023 was marked by a rise of 0.43 degrees Fahrenheit (0.24 degrees Celsius) compared to any other July in 174 years of record-keeping, NBC News reported. NOAA's records of global temperatures go back 174 years.
In a press briefing on Monday, Sarah Kapnick, NOAA's chief scientist, said: "Last month was way, way warmer than anything we've ever seen... It's very likely that July 2023 was hotter than any month in any year since at least 1850."
Notably, the last five Julys since 1880 have also ranked as the hottest in the past five years. Additionally, it stood at 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit (1.18 degrees Celsius), higher than the average temperature for July between 1951 and 1980.
GISS focuses on long-term temperature trends over decades and centuries, with a fixed base period for consistent analysis.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the tangible impact of these findings, stating that the hottest July on record validated what countless individuals worldwide had experienced firsthand.
"The science is clear. We must act now to protect our communities and planet; it's the only one we have," Nelson said in a statement.
Certain regions, such as South America, North America, North Africa, and the Antarctic Peninsula, experienced remarkable temperature spikes, with deviations of about 7.2° F (4° C) above the average.
Widespread Extreme Heat
Widespread extreme heat exposed tens of millions of people to heat warnings, causing numerous heat-related illnesses and fatalities. This alarming trend aligns with the overarching pattern of human-driven warming attributed primarily to greenhouse gas emissions.
Notably, the last five Julys since 1880 have ranked as the hottest in the past five years. NASA constructs its temperature records from diverse sources, including surface air temperature data from numerous meteorological stations and sea surface temperature data collected by ship- and buoy-based instruments.
Robust methodologies account for varying station spacing and urban heating effects to ensure accurate calculations. Gavin Schmidt, Director of GISS, highlighted this record-breaking July's unprecedented nature, surpassing any previous month since 1880.
Schmidt noted that the abnormal warming trend is unequivocally driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to dangerous extreme heat events on a global scale.
July 2023's remarkable warmth can partly be attributed to elevated sea surface temperatures, notably in the eastern tropical Pacific. According to NASA, these temperatures indicate the developing El Niño phenomenon that emerged in May 2023.
While such events introduce variability to global temperatures, the full impact of El Niño is typically felt in the months following its development, with the most substantial effects anticipated in February, March, and April 2024, according to NASA's projections.
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