Heat is On: How 3 July becomes the world's hottest day and the worst is yet to come

The heat scorched the globe on Monday. It was not just any hot day; it was the hottest one. According to the data from the US National Centres for Environmental Prediction, 3 July was the world’s hottest day on record, exceeding an average of 17 degrees Celsius (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time. The average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit), surpassing the August 2016 record of 16.92C (62.46F) as heatwaves sizzled around the world. Experts relate this to a mix of human-caused climate change and the emergence of El Nino. Let’s take a closer look. Milestone not worth celebrating As heatwaves tightened their grip on the planet, climate scientists are ringing the warning bells. “This is not a milestone we should be celebrating,” said climate scientist Friederike Otto of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Britain’s Imperial College London. **Also Read: What a heatwave does to your body** “It’s a death sentence for people and ecosystems.” Lamenting the crisis, Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, said: “Unfortunately, it promises to only be the first in a series of new records set this year as increasing emissions of (carbon dioxide) and greenhouse gases, coupled with a growing El Nino event, push temperatures to new highs.” The world’s average air temperature, which fluctuates between around 12 degrees Celsius and just under 17 degrees Celsius on any given day over the year, averaged 16.2 degrees Celsius at the beginning of July between 1979 and 2000. [caption id=“attachment_12826732” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The record has yet to be corroborated by other measurements, but could soon be broken as the northern hemisphere’s summer begins. AP[/caption] The record has yet to be corroborated by other measurements, but could soon be broken as the northern hemisphere’s summer begins. The average global temperature typically continues to rise until the end of July or beginning of August. Even last month, average global temperatures were the warmest the European Union’s Copernicus climate monitoring unit had ever recorded for the start of June. Heatwave grips the southern US and beyond Rising temperatures have been felt strongly across the southern United States. For the past three weeks, a deadly heatwave has delivered triple digit temperatures to a swath of the country spanning from Florida to Arizona. In China, an enduring heatwave continued, with temperatures above 35C (95F). North Africa has seen temperatures near 50C (122F). Even Antarctica, currently in its winter, registered anomalously high temperatures. Ukraine’s Vernadsky Research Base in the white continent’s Argentine Islands recently broke its July temperature record with 8.7C (47.6F). The UK recorded its hottest June this year. According to the India Meteorological Department, June was the warmest in southern peninsular India since 1901, with an average maximum temperature of 34.05 degrees Celsius. Researchers have been concerned about rising temperatures on land and at sea since the start of this year. The high on Monday was the warmest since satellite monitoring began in 1979, reports BBC. Experts believe it is also the highest since widespread use of instrumental records began towards the end of the 19th Century. The role of El Nino Temperatures are likely to rise even further above historical averages over the next year with the onset of an El Nino weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, which the World Meteorological Organisation confirmed on Monday is now underway. [caption id=“attachment_12826752” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] According to the Indian Metrological Department, June was the warmest in southern peninsular India since 1901. PTI[/caption] “The average global surface air temperature reaching 17C for the first time since we have reliable records available is a significant symbolic milestone in our warming world,” said climate researcher Leon Simons, reports BBC. “Now that the warmer phase of El Nino is starting, we can expect a lot more daily, monthly and annual records breaking in the next 1.5 years.” In addition, human activity — mainly the burning of fossil fuels — is continuing to emit roughly 40 billion tonnes of planet-warming CO2 into the atmosphere every year. More to come Scientists believe that as the summer goes on and El Nino gains strength there is much more to come. “Chances are that July will be the warmest ever, and with it the hottest month ever: ’ever’ meaning since the Eemian which is some 120,000 years ago,” said Karsten Haustein, from the University of Leipzig, reports BBC. “While Southern Hemisphere temperatures will drop a bit in the next few days, chances are that July and August will see even warmer days yet given that El Nino is now pretty much in full swing”. With inputs from agencies  Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.