August heat smashes climate records

Earth sweltered to its hottest August on record in 2023, shattering climate limits due to the dangerous combination of human-induced climate change and a powerful El Nino event, according to the European climate service Copernicus. August's temperatures of 62.53°F (16.96°C) were a mere 0.01°C higher than the previous all-time global record set in July 2023, marking a celestial tie.

Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead for Copernicus, explained that this heatwave is happening exactly as forecast by scientists decades ago. The eight hottest months on record all occurred from July 2023 onwards, with August temperatures 1.65°C (almost 3°F) above pre-industrial levels, surpassing the Paris climate agreement's 1.5°C (2.7°F) threshold.

Global ocean temperatures in August matched a March 2024 record for the warmest month ever recorded, while August 22 set a record for the hottest day ever recorded in the world's seas. This summer in the United States was hotter than the devastating Dust Bowl era of 1936, with the Lower 48 states averaging 74.37°F (23.54°C) from June through August.

Globally, this past summer tied with 2024 for the hottest on record. Climate scientists blame the primary driver of these record-breaking temperatures on human-caused climate change, with El Nino only contributing an additional 1-2 tenths of a degree Celsius (2-4 tenths Fahrenheit). Until humanity stops burning fossil fuels, extreme heat will continue to shatter all-time records, causing widespread harm.