LONDON: The world faced its hottest day on record globally on Sunday (July 21), according to preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The global average surface air temperature on Sunday reached 17.09 °C (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit), slightly higher than the previous record set last July of 17.08 °C (62.74 °F).
Heat waves have scorched large swaths of the United States, Europe and Russia over the past week.
Copernicus confirmed Reuters that the average daily temperature record set last year had apparently been broken on Sunday, according to records dating back to 1940.
Last year, there were four consecutive record-breaking days, from July 3 to 6, when climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, brought extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere.
Every month since June 2023 (13 months in a row) has been ranked as the warmest on record compared to the corresponding month in previous years, Copernicus said.
Some scientists have suggested that 2024 could surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record as climate change and the natural El Niño weather phenomenon, which ended in April, have pushed temperatures even higher this year.
