July 4 Was The Hottest Day On Earth, Scientists Predict More Warmer Days Ahead: Report
On Tuesday, the world's average temperature reached 17.18C (62.9F), according to data collated by NCEP, surpassing the record 17.01C reached on Monday, the Guardian reported.
New Delhi: Tuesday, July 4, was the hottest day ever recorded globally, breaking world temperature records for the second day in a row, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP).
On Tuesday, the world's average temperature reached 17.18C (62.9F), according to data collated by NCEP, surpassing the record 17.01C reached on Monday, the Guardian reported.
According to the Guardian, until the start of this week, the hottest day on record was in 2016, during the last El Niño global weather event, when the global average temperature reached 16.92C.
The World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations' weather agency, officially confirmed the re-emergence of El Niño on Tuesday. Experts anticipate that when coupled with the increased heat caused by anthropogenic global heating, this phenomenon will likely result in more record-breaking temperatures, reported the Guardian.
“El Niño hasn’t peaked yet and summer is still in full swing in the northern hemisphere, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the record were broken again in coming days or weeks,” said Dr Paulo Ceppi, a lecturer in climate science at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, according o the media outlet.
As per the news agency Reuters, Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, said in a statement, "Unfortunately, it promises to only be the first in a series of new records set this year as increasing emissions of [carbon dioxide] and greenhouse gases coupled with a growing El Nino event push temperatures to new highs."
Higher temperatures translate into brutal conditions for people all over the world. When the heat spikes, humans suffer health effects — especially young and elderly people, who are vulnerable to heat even under normal conditions.
“People aren’t used to that. Their bodies aren’t used to that,” Associated Press reported quoting Erinanne Saffell, Arizona’s state climatologist and an expert in extreme weather and climate events. “That’s important to understand who might be at risk, making sure people are hydrated, they’re staying cool, and they’re not exerting themselves outside, and taking care of those folks around you who might be at risk.”
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