In the 175 years of NOAA’s climate record, August 2024 was the hottest August on record.As per experts and data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, this scorching month completed the warmest meteorological summer on record for the Northern Hemisphere and was the fifteenth consecutive month of record warmth.
Highlights from the latest NOAA monthly global climate report are as follows:-
August of 2024
August was the warmest on record due to its average worldwide land and ocean surface temperature of 2.29 degrees Fahrenheit (1.27 degrees Celsius), which was a degree above the 20th century average of 60.1 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 degrees Celsius). 2024’s August month will be the 15th consecutive month with record-high global temperatures. It is a record streak in and of itself.
August was the warmest on record for Europe and Oceania; the second warmest for Asia and the third warmest for North America and Africa.
Hottest Summer and Warmest Winter on Record
At 2.74 degrees Fahrenheit (1.52 degrees Celsius) above average, June-August 2024 was the hottest summer on record in the Northern Hemisphere. This season, which also happens to be the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, was the warmest on record for the region. With 1.73 degrees Fahrenheit (0.96 degrees Celsius) above average.
With 2.30 degrees Fahrenheit (1.28 degrees Celsius) over the 20th century average of 57.3 degrees Fahrenheit (14.0 degrees Celsius), the YTD was the warmest on record all over the world. The chances that 2024 will be the warmest year on record for the planet is 97%. It is based on the NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook.
Significant climate occurrences
Sea ice extent is continuing to decline: at 8.32 million square miles. The world’s sea ice extent (coverage) was the second smallest in the 46 year record. It was 1.05 million square miles less than the average from 1991 to 2020. The amount of sea ice in the Arctic was below average, ranking fourth lowest on record and the amount in the Antarctic was also below average, ranking second lowest
August in the Tropics was ordinary: fifteen named storms twirled around the world in August. Almost identically the average from 1991 to 2020. In August there were two tropical cyclones. They hit the Atlantic basin. Debby, a Category 1 hurricane that hit Florida and Ernesto, a Category 2 hurricane that hit Bermuda. There were 7 tropical cyclones in the East Pacific which is considerably more than typical. It was 5 in the West Pacific and 1 in the North Indian Ocean.
