Global warming reaches a new high; world records the hottest day ever

July 3, was recorded as the hottest day ever globally as per the data from the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The average temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius breaking the previous highest recorded temperature of 16.92 degree Celsius recorded in August 2016. Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment said, “This is not a milestone we should be celebrating, it’s a death sentence for people and ecosystems.” She also added that the temperature will keep on getting higher due to the El Nino effect.

Many Indian cities have been suffering from the adverse effect of constant heat waves. According to the IMD, some regions in Bihar and West Bengal suffered from heat waves for more than 15 continuous days in the month of June, and during this time temperatures in both states were constantly between 40 to 50 degree Celsius. Even Antarctica, which is presently experiencing winter, had unusually high temperatures. Recently, the Argentine Islands of the white continent’s Vernadsky Research Base in Ukraine broke its July temperature record with 8.7C (47.6F).

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated in March that efforts to address climate change are still insufficient and that it is possible that the world would rise over 1.5C “in the near term.” The report states that by 2035, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to 60% below 2019 levels, and that the risks associated with climate change are increasing with each degree of warming.

It is extremely concerning to look at the rate of increase in global temperatures in the past few years. There have been little to no efforts from leaders around the world and it is high time that serious climate change action is needed. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also previously said “Our world needs climate action on all fronts – everything, everywhere, all at once.”