scorecard
  1. Home
  2. Science
  3. These maps show record high temperatures in June, as scientists predict July could be the hottest month ever recorded on Earth

These maps show record high temperatures in June, as scientists predict July could be the hottest month ever recorded on Earth

Rosie Perper,Rosie Perper   

These maps show record high temperatures in June, as scientists predict July could be the hottest month ever recorded on Earth
Science5 min read

heat wave

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

People cool off near the fountain at Washington Square Park during a hot afternoon day on July 17, 2019 in New York City. Sweltering heat is moving into the New York City area, with temperatures expected to rise close to 100 degrees by this weekend. The large heat wave will affect close to two thirds of the United States, with the East Coast and Midwest seeing the worst conditions.

  • The average temperature in June soared to its highest level on record, and experts predict that July could follow the same pattern. 
  • Several reports released this week confirmed that June was the hottest month on record. 
  • Climate experts have predicted that based on the data, July could also break global heat records. 
  • On Thursday, the US National Weather Service issued a national advisory warning that dangerous heat and humidity was to be expected across the country. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The average temperature in June soared to its highest level on record, and experts predict that July could follow the same pattern. 

Global land and sea temperatures were 1.71 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the 20th century average of 59.9 degrees Fahrenheit, and they were the warmest ever recorded in June since records began in the 1800s, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a report on Thursday. 

The report added that nine out of 10 of the warmest Junes ever recorded have occurred since 2010. Record-breaking heat was recorded throughout June all around the world, including in Eastern Europe, northern Russia, Asia, Africa, South America, the north Indian Ocean, and across parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. 

This map from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information shows temperatures recorded in countries around the world were warmer than average or were the warmest ever documented.

global temperatures

NOAA National Center for Environmental Protection

The June temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.71°F above the 20th century average of 59.9°F and was the highest for June in the 1880-2019 record.

Temperature spikes were particularly noticeable in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including in Alaska, and in parts of Canada and Russia, where temperatures rose by 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher from average, the report said.

NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies also recorded global average temperatures were their highest in June. 

 

The June findings are also supported by the Copernicus Climate Change Service. It said June was 0.54 degrees Celsius warmer than the average recorded between 1981 to 2010. 

copernicus global heat mat

ECMWF, Copernicus Climate Change Service

June 2019 was the hottest on record, and climate scientists predict July could also reach record temperatures.

Climate scientists predict that based on data observed, temperatures may continue to rise in July and could make it the hottest month ever recorded on Earth. 

Climate researcher Zeke Hausfather said in a tweet on Tuesday that July is on track to beat the 2017 record by about 0.025 degrees Celsius, though it was still too early to say for sure. 

NASA-GISS director Gavin Schmidt tweeted on Tuesday that 2019 had a 90% chance of beating last year's average temperature and may be on track to become the hottest year on record.

Director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University Michael Mann responded to news of June's record-breaking heat in and tweeted that the changes documented are "significant." 

"July is the warmest month of the year globally," he wrote. "If this July turns out to be the warmest July (it has a good shot at it), it will be the warmest month we have measured on Earth!"

On Thursday, the US National Weather Service issued a national advisory warning that dangerous heat and humidity was to be expected across the country. 

Temperatures are expected to soar across the US, the weather service said, extending from the central portion of the country to the East Coast. It said a number of record highs were likely, with temperatures expected to surge past 100 degrees Fahrenheit. 

According to CNN, more than 150 million people in nearly 30 states could be impacted by rising temperatures predicted to hit the US this weekend.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to take precaution as a heatwave is expected to stifle the city over the next several days. 

"It's serious stuff," he said in a video posted to Twitter. "Friday is going to be bad, Saturday is going to be really bad on through Sunday." 

 

France's national meteorological service Météo-France predicted on Thursday that another record-breaking heatwave may be approaching the country next week. 

READ MORE ARTICLES ON


Advertisement

Advertisement