July 2023 may be hottest month ever: NASA's climate expert
A leading NASA climate expert, Gavin Schmidt from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, has warned that this month will likely be the hottest on record. The announcement comes at a time when the world is seeing record-high temperatures. Schmidt made this statement at a recent meeting held at NASA's Washington headquarters that included climate experts and other leaders, including NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
Why does this story matter?
So far, June was confirmed to be the hottest month the world has ever seen in 174 years. Signs that June's heat record could be broken emerged when we experienced the hottest week ever at the beginning of this month, between July 3-10. What's concerning is global temperatures could further edge higher if appropriate remedial measures are not taken.
There's an 80% chance 2023 could be the hottest year
"There has been a decade-on-decade increase in temperatures throughout the last four decades," Schmidt said during the meeting. All the heat the world is experiencing is "certainly increasing the chances" that this year will be the hottest on record. Schmidt estimates there is a 50% chance that heat record could be set this year while certain other models suggest an 80% likelihood.
2016 is the hottest year so far
Experts predict 2024 will be even hotter than 2023, as El Nino, a periodic weather known to spike global temperatures, is expected to peak toward the end of this year. The last major El Nino lasted from 2014 to 2016. Each of those years consecutively broke the global temperature record. So far, 2016 is the hottest year ever recorded.
Onset of El Nino is causing temperatures to rise
El Nino refers to an abnormal warming of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which can bring about a change in the weather patterns across the world. Broadly speaking, the effects of El Nino can range from altering temperatures of oceans and the speed and intensity of ocean currents to local weather conditions from Australia to South America.
'Greeenhouse gas emissions are causing unavoidable warming'
Officials at the meeting also highlighted the changes the Earth is witnessing and attributed them to greenhouse gas emissions. "What we know from science is that human activity and principally greenhouse gas emissions are unavoidably causing the warming that we're seeing on our planet," said Kate Calvin, NASA's senior climate adviser. "This is impacting people and ecosystems around the world."
