MADRID (dpa-AFX) - As multiple regions contend with unbearable heat, drought, wildfires and other extreme weather, the past month was the second warmest July on record worldwide, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Average surface air temperatures were 1.47°C above the estimated pre-industrial baseline, and sea-surface temperatures were the highest ever recorded for the month of July, the European Union climate agency said.
The World Meteorological Organization underlined the crucial need for stronger forecasts and early warning systems to protect lives and livelihoods.
The heat is still on in August. Although this month marks the height of the vacation season across Europe and other parts of the northern hemisphere, some workers are not getting a break, the UN agency said.
Many national meteorological and hydrological services, emergency management and response teams as well as health professionals 'are really working tirelessly because of all the extreme weather that we are seeing,' WMO Spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July period on record and some countries, including Switzerland and France, are now facing their fourth heatwave of the summer.
The heat is not confined to Europe as Japan and the Republic of Korea recorded exceptional and record-breaking temperatures last week, as did other parts of Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
John Kennedy, WMO's head of climate information, said low rainfall and heat had contributed to 'drought, low river levels, and increased risk of wildfires', including low flows in major European rivers such as the Seine, Rhine and Danube.
Wildfire activity has also intensified. Nullis said that last month saw exceptional wildfire activity across western Europe both in terms of the area burned and emissions.
She said fire emissions data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service show that year-to-date emissions in France are comparable to, or higher than, levels seen during the extreme fire years of 2022 and 2023.
The country is on course to have one of its most extreme fire years of the past 24 years, while fire emissions in neighbouring Spain are also well above average for this time of year.
Meanwhile in North America, fires are raging in parts of the western United States, while Canada had 591 active fires as of Monday, including 43 classified as out of control.
Kennedy explained that high-pressure systems are typically associated with hotter, drier conditions because descending air warms and reduces cloud formation, thus allowing in more sunlight. These systems can also block cooler air from moving in and can last for days or even weeks.
With El Niño now established in the Pacific, WMO expects a further rise in global temperature, with the global peak typically following the El Niño peak which usually occurs between November and January.
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