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Aug. 14 (UPI) — NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies revealed that July 2023 broke records as the hottest month in the past 143 years, highlighting the visible consequences of climate change on Americans. The average temperature for July 2023 was 0.43 degrees Fahrenheit higher than any previous July on record. It was also 2.1 degrees warmer than the average July temperature between 1951 and 1980, according to the GISS, which defines “normal” temperatures based on several decades of data. NASA reports that the five hottest Julys since 1880 have all occurred within the past five years.
“This July not only surpassed previous records but became the warmest month in our recorded history dating back to 1880,” stated Gavin Schmidt, Director of NASA’s GISS. Schmidt added, “The science clearly indicates that this is not normal. The alarming global warming trend is predominantly driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in increasingly dangerous extreme heat events experienced both locally and globally.”
Regions around the world encountered varying degrees of temperature rises, with some areas experiencing temperatures approximately 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average. The impact was felt by tens of millions of people across North America, South America, North Africa, and the Antarctic Peninsula, who faced heat warnings and witnessed an increase in heat-related illnesses and fatalities.
Katherine Calvin, Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., warned, “Climate change is already affecting people and ecosystems worldwide, and with further warming, we anticipate these impacts will escalate.”
Last week, the European Union’s climate monitor, Copernicus, labeled July 2023 as the hottest month globally, with 29 of the warmest days ever recorded. Copernicus’ data indicates a significant rise in daily surface air temperatures since 1940, solidifying 2023 as the hottest summer on record.
NASA attributes the record-breaking heat in July to high sea surface temperatures and the presence of El Niño in the eastern tropical Pacific. NASA anticipates the most substantial impacts of El Niño, which can cause severe storms in some regions and drought in others, to be experienced in February, March, and April of 2024.
Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate Advisor, emphasized the urgency of the climate crisis and President Biden’s commitment to tackling it. Zaidi stated, “President Biden has recognized the climate crisis as the most significant threat of our time. The unprecedented climate leadership displayed by President Biden gains even further context in light of record high temperatures, devastating wildfires, and catastrophic floods confirmed by NASA’s analysis.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson echoed these sentiments in a tweet, acknowledging the undeniable impact of global warming and supporting President Biden’s decisive actions. Nelson tweeted, “NASA data confirms what billions around the world literally felt: July 2023 was the hottest month on record. Americans in every corner of the country are currently experiencing the effects of the climate crisis, underscoring the urgency of President Biden’s historic climate agenda. The science is clear; we must act now to protect our communities and our planet, as it is the only one we have.”
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