Earth just had the hottest August on record, according to newly released weather data.
Key points
- Global sea surface temperature reached an all-time observed high
- Global tropical cyclone activity was above average, producing 19 tropical storms
- El Niño conditions fuelled record temperatures across vast areas of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean
The planetary heat record was documented by monthly reports from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Service, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA.
Its effects were felt around the planet, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.
The northern hemisphere experienced its warmest summer while the southern hemisphere had a near-record warm winter.
Meanwhile, the Arctic and Antarctic each had below-average sea ice coverage in August.
Heatwaves and drought
Western Europe saw heatwaves in August, continuing an exceptional run of extreme heat that began in May, and severe drought conditions were reported in France, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and the United Kingdom.
Large parts of central and eastern Europe also saw widespread dryness in August, in some cases persisting since May.
Water flow levels were exceptionally low in major European rivers, including the Rhine, Danube, Southern Bug and Dnieper.
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Why so hot?
El Niño was one of the drivers of August’s record climate conditions, WMO reported.
The climate pattern influenced global tropical cyclone activity as well as heavy rainfall and floods in some countries.
Other countries were impacted by drought, with El Niño conditions favouring the intensification of seasonal wildfires across Indonesia, as reported by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).
What it means
Data indicates that all 10 of the warmest Augusts on record have occurred since 2016.
In terms of heat, the global average surface air temperature in August was 1.65°C higher than the estimated pre-industrial baseline, the latest data revealed.
At the same time, the global surface temperature was 1.32°C above the 20th-century average – the warmest August since records began in 1850, according to the US National Centers for Environmental Information.
Predictions for what El Niño will bring are sobering.
“It is now firmly established and will intensify into a very strong event in the coming months, with big impacts on rainfall and temperature patterns well into 2027,” according to WMO’s latest El Niño Update.
Tracking the global climate
Organizations around the world help track global climate information.
WMO uses datasets from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, NOAA, NASA and others for its State of the Global Climate reports.
The UN weather agency will present an update on this year’s climate at the next UN climate conference, COP31, in Antalya, Turkey, in November.
Read the latest State of Global Climate report here.
