European monitor says July 21 was the hottest day on record

Sunday, July 21, was the hottest day on record globally, according to preliminary data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The global average surface air temperature on Sunday reached 17.09C – slightly above the previous record set last July of 17.08C.

Heat waves have hit large areas of the United States, Europe and Russia over the past week.

Copernicus confirmed to Reuters that the average daily temperature record set last year appeared to have been broken on Sunday.

Last year, four consecutive days broke the record, from July 3 to 6, as climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, caused extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere.

Every month since June 2023 – 13 months in a row – has now ranked as the planet’s hottest since records began, compared with the corresponding month in previous years, Copernicus said.

Some scientists have suggested that 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record, as climate change and the natural El Niño weather phenomenon – which ended in April – have further increased temperatures this year.