July 2023 is on track to be the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, according to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, citing data from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The global average temperature for July 2023 was 1.54 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, making it the highest monthly average temperature on record, surpassing the previous record set in July 2019.
The record-breaking temperatures are a “stark reminder” of the urgent need to take action on climate change, said Guterres. He called on countries to “step up their efforts” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the consequences of climate change, which are already being felt around the world.
Heatwaves, droughts, floods, and wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense, causing widespread damage and displacement, and putting people’s lives at risk.
Guterres emphasized that “we are at a crossroads.” We can either continue on our current path, which will lead to even more extreme weather events and rising sea levels, or we can take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avert the worst effects of climate change.
The WMO predicts that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year, with a 98% likelihood that at least one of the next five years, and the five-year period as a whole, will be the warmest on record..
