The first three weeks of July were the hottest three-week period on record, according to data presented at the Copernicus Climate Change Services conference. In addition, July 2023 is expected to be both the hottest July and the hottest month on record.

“We don't have to wait until the end of the month to be sure of this. Unless a mini-ice age occurs in the coming days, July 2023 will break records across the board,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Guterres added that recent heat waves and forest fires have been a “catastrophe” for the planet. The only surprise, according to the UN Secretary General, was the speed of climate change.

The summer of 2023 was characterized by the breaking of many temperature records. For example, on July 6, the global average temperature broke the previous record in the history of observations, set in August 2016. Additionally, June 2023 also became the hottest sixth month on record. Scientists blame the high temperatures on a global climate crisis fueled by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

El Niño and La Niña

Over the past three years, the situation in the World Ocean has been characterized by the La Niña weather phenomenon - a climatic period during which tropical winds intensify and cooling is recorded in the tropical zone of the Pacific Ocean. La Niña generally has a cooling effect on global temperatures.
Scientists believe that the three-year period of La Niña has come to an end and is now being replaced by its reverse phase - El Niño. During this weather phenomenon, an increase in global temperatures is recorded.

July 2023 was the hottest month on record