July 2024 warmest on record: NOAA
An annotated map of the world plotted with the most significant climate events of July 2024. See the story below as well as the report summary from NOAA NCEI
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Last month was Earth’s warmest July on record, extending the streak of record-high monthly global temperatures to 14 successive months.
The world’s sea-surface temperatures in July were the second-warmest on record, ending a run of 15 consecutive, record-setting months, according to data and scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
The average July global surface temperature was 1.21 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average of 15.8 C, ranking as the warmest July in NOAA’s 175-year global record. July 2024 was also the 14th-consecutive month of record-high temperatures for the planet.
Last month’s temperatures were above average across much of the global land surface except for Alaska, southern South America, eastern Russia, Australia and western Antarctica. Meanwhile, Africa, Asia and Europe had their warmest Julys on record, while North America saw its second-warmest July.
The global ocean temperature was the second warmest on record, ending a streak of 15 consecutive months of record-high temperatures. Sea-surface temperatures were above average over most areas, while parts of the tropical eastern Pacific and southeastern Pacific were below average.
The year-to-date (YTD) January to July global surface temperature was 1.28 C above the 20th-century average, making it the warmest YTD on record. Africa, Europe and South America each experienced their warmest YTD temperatures.
There is a 77 per cent chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record and nearly a 100 per cent chance it will rank in the top five, according to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Rankings Outlook.
July had the second smallest sea ice coverage in the 46-year record at 21.99 million square kilometres, which was 2.82 million square km below the 1991 to 2020 average. Arctic sea ice coverage was below average (by 854,696 square km), and Antarctic sea ice extent was below average (by 1.97 million square km).
Seven named storms developed across the globe in July, which was below the 1991 to 2020 average. The Atlantic basin had two, including Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, while the East Pacific had three and the West Pacific had two.
