July 21 was the hottest day ever recorded worldwide

According to the European Copernicus climate observation network, the global average temperature at the Earth’s surface that day was 17.09°C.

The planet is suffocating. Sunday, July 21 was the hottest day recorded in the world since records began in 1940, with an average global temperature at the Earth’s surface of 17.09°C, the European Copernicus network announced on Tuesday, July 23. This is very slightly higher (0.01°C) than the previous record, which was set on July 6, 2023.

🌡️New global temperature record.#CopernicusClimate preliminary data show the daily global average temperature reached 17.09°C (21 July 24), very marginally above the previous record of 17.08°C (6 July 23).

Find out more 👉 https://t.co/zl69Lxecui pic.twitter.com/QZrvWB3oxb

— Copernicus ECMWF (@CopernicusECMWF) July 23, 2024

According to Copernicus, the new daily record, which comes as heatwaves hit parts of the United States and Europe, could be broken again in the coming days before temperatures drop, although there could be fluctuations in the coming weeks.

June 2024 was also the warmest June on record, becoming the 13th consecutive month to set a record for a mean temperature higher than its equivalent months. The global average temperature over the past 12 months is thus the “highest ever recorded (…), 1.64°C above the pre-industrial average 1850-1900”when deforestation and the burning of coal, gas or oil had not yet warmed the Earth’s climate, according to Copernicus.

Since the 19th century, the average temperature of the Earth has warmed by 1.1°C. Scientists have established with certainty that this increase is due to human activities, consumers of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). This warming, unprecedented in its speed, threatens the future of our societies and biodiversity. But solutions – renewable energies, moderation, reduction of meat consumption – exist. Discover our answers to your questions on the climate crisis.