The extreme heat is being driven in part by a warming climate, which is exacerbating extreme weather events around the world, including wildfires, heat waves and dangerous floods.
The global map shows whether the average daily temperatures from June 1 to September 23 were above or below average compared to the average from 1979 to 2000. Most of North America was warmer than average, with some areas, including northern Canada, the southwestern U.S., and northern Mexico, recording temperatures more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) above average.
Hot, dry and windy weather in Canada has led to an early and intense wildfire season that by mid-July had spawned the worst wildfires in the country’s history, while warmer than normal temperatures across large swaths of the Arctic have accelerated ice melt.
The world map rotates to focus on the Arctic, most of which was warmer than average, with some areas, including northern Canada and parts of Greenland, showing temperatures more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) above average.
Many locations experienced multiple days of scorching heat. Phoenix recorded 31 consecutive days with temperatures at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, a total of 55 days between June and September 23.
The world map rotates to focus on the southwestern US, showing temperatures far above normal, with Phoenix, known for its heatwaves, seeing temperatures more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) above average.
El Paso has experienced 44 consecutive days of temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit since mid-June, and officials say the scorching heat along the Texas-Mexico border has been deadly for migrants trying to make their way into the United States.
The world map rotates to focus on the U.S.-Mexico border region, where temperatures were more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) above average across large swaths of southern and western Texas and northern Mexico.
Parts of the southeastern United States, including Louisiana, also experienced extended periods of hotter than normal weather and high humidity, making the air feel muggy and swampy.
The world map rotates to focus on the southeastern U.S. Parts of Louisiana, such as Baton Rouge, are experiencing temperatures more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit above average.
One of the most unusual heat waves this year occurred in the middle of South America’s winter, from late July to early August, pushing temperatures in parts of Chile’s Andes more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.
The global map shifted to South America, where much of the continent experienced above-normal average daily temperatures. Parts of the Chilean Andes were more than 8 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) above normal, and much of Paraguay was more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) above normal.
Across Europe, firefighters battled blazes in Croatia, Switzerland and across the Mediterranean as four months of scorching heat gripped the region.
Across Europe, countries from Spain to Romania saw average temperatures more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.2 degrees Celsius) above normal.
Even in the Middle East, where a hot summer is expected, relentless heat, high humidity and dry conditions are making it dangerous to carry out everyday tasks. In Africa, large areas of Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo experienced temperatures far above normal.
The map rotates to focus on northeastern Africa and the Middle East, with areas of Sudan and Ethiopia seeing temperatures more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit (3.3 degrees Celsius) above normal.
The heat is especially pronounced in northwest China, where the dry desert climate makes it one of the hottest parts of the country, with temperatures in the city of Turpan reaching nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit in mid-July.
The globe rotates to focus on northern China and Mongolia, showing that temperatures have been more than 4°C above normal over a wide area since June.
Japan experienced its hottest summer on record, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, and in big cities like Tokyo, the heat is amplified by the urban heat island effect, which can trap heat throughout the night.
As the Earth circles around Japan, temperatures in northern Japan are 4 to 6 degrees higher than average.
This summer (June to August) was the hottest on record in the Northern Hemisphere. The new record high marked the largest annual increase in global average temperature compared to the same period last year, according to several agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
According to a report by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, September this year was the hottest month on record globally.
The scorching heat was by no means temporary: in many areas the heat arrived and stayed, with some cities experiencing sweltering temperatures for weeks.
In humid areas, the temperature feels even hotter than the thermometer indicates, sometimes by 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit or more. In such oppressive heat, being outdoors or indoors without air conditioning can be dangerous, even deadly.
There was little rest even into the evening, and with temperatures so high overnight many struggled to cool down.
Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the nonprofit research institute Berkeley Earth, said it’s concerning that the planet experienced such unusual warmth before El Niño, a global weather pattern that often leads to higher temperatures in many regions, typically has the most noticeable effects several months after it peaks, which scientists don’t expect to happen until early 2024.
Scientists say this summer may be relatively cool compared to future ones unless humanity slows down and eventually stops burning fossil fuels, which release climate-warming greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
“What we are observing – not only new extreme events but also the persistence of these record-breaking conditions and their impact on both humans and the planet – is a clear consequence of a warming of the climate system,” Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said in a press release.
Number of degrees warmer or colder than the average for 1979-2000
Average temperature from June 1st to September 23rd
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