World's climate monitor declares August as third warmest on record

August 2024 saw a significant rise in global temperatures, with the average temperature being 1.29 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This marked the world's third-hottest August on record, according to climate data.

Across Europe, the continent's western region experienced the most pronounced above-average temperatures. Southwest France and the Iberian Peninsula were particularly affected, as they endured a third major heatwave of the summer. The UK, Japan, and South Korea experienced their hottest summers on record, according to their respective weather agencies.

In Spain and Portugal, fierce wildfires and punishing heatwaves swept through, forcing thousands to evacuate. The 16-day heatwave in Spain alone caused over 1,100 deaths, according to the Carlos III Health Institute.

Outside Europe, temperatures were most above average across Siberia, parts of Antarctica, China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the Middle East. Record-breaking ocean temperatures were measured in the North Atlantic to the west of France and the United Kingdom.

Much of Asia recorded above-average temperatures during August. The average sea temperature in Asia varied by region but was typically around 28 to 30 °C in tropical areas such as Okinawa and Ko Chang, Thailand. Remarkably, Ko Chang reported sea temperatures of 30 °C, while Okinawa saw temperatures between 28–30 °C.

Scientists have linked the unusually warm oceans to increasingly extreme weather events. They assert that human-caused climate change made the hot, dry, and windy conditions that fanned the blazes 40 times more likely.

Europe's climate monitor declared the urgency to address climate change and prepare for its deadly consequences. Global temperatures have been stoked ever higher by humanity's emissions of planet-heating gases. As the world grapples with the effects of climate change, the need for action becomes increasingly pressing.