Last month was the hottest July on record, marking the fourteenth consecutive month of record-breaking heat, according to a report from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This relentless trend underscores the increasing impact of climate change, with NOAA now predicting a 77 percent chance that 2024 will be the warmest year on record.

NOAA's findings differ slightly from those of the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, which reported that July 2024's average temperature was slightly lower than July 2023. However, both agencies agree on the concerning trend of escalating temperatures, with each month continuing to set new records.

NOAA's historical data, which spans 175 years, suggests that 2024 will undoubtedly rank among the five hottest years on record. In July alone, global temperatures were 2.18 degrees Fahrenheit (1.21 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century average of 60.4F (15.8C). This month saw severe heatwaves across Mediterranean and Gulf regions, with Africa, Europe, and Asia all recording their hottest July to date. North America experienced its second-hottest July on record.

Ocean temperatures also remained exceptionally high, ranking as the second warmest ever recorded for July. This aligns with observations from Copernicus, which highlighted that air temperatures over the ocean were unusually elevated in many regions, even amidst the cooling effects of the La Niña weather pattern.

Last year was also recorded as the warmest year on record, and experts warn that the impacts of climate change will continue to worsen unless global greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced. Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, emphasized that the "devastating effects of climate change started well before 2023 and will continue until global greenhouse gas emissions reach net zero."