August was world's joint-hottest month on record

In August, the world shared the distinction of experiencing its hottest month on record, with temperatures surging more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, according to data from the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. The scorching weather caused extreme weather events and climate-related disasters worldwide, including landslides and flash floods in Nepal and China's Tibet, wildfires in various countries, and severe drought in Hungary and Romania.

August marked the first time in nearly a decade that the global average temperature surpassed the 1.5°C threshold set by the Paris climate agreement. Scientists believe climate change likely contributed to the deadly incidents in Nepal and China. The incident underscores how climate change is increasingly impacting daily life across Europe, with roads melting, train lines buckling, schools closing, and hospitals overwhelmed.

Samantha Burgess, strategic lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, highlighted the narrative around climate change has shifted from an abstract concept to a direct threat to daily existence. The data revealed western Europe is still recovering from its hottest summer, with low river flows and soil moisture affecting farmers.

The world has not yet officially crossed the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target, which uses a long-term average instead of a temporary peak. The UN urged faster cuts in CO2 emissions to prevent further overshooting the target. Extreme heat was not limited to land, with the world's oceans outside polar regions also reaching joint-highest sea surface temperatures on record.

Record-high temperatures in the tropical Pacific were driven by the El Nino weather pattern, which is expected to intensify, potentially causing further global warming.