At 1.54C above the long-term average of 1991–2020, it was also the warmest in all of Europe, breaking the previous record set in 2022.
In addition, August was the 13th month over a 14-month span when the average world temperature rose by more than 1.5C over pre-industrial levels.
While the UK enjoyed its coldest summer since 2015, July temperatures throughout much of Europe were above average.
Heatwaves and other extreme weather have an impact everywhere in the world.
“Temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense,” stated Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus.
Throughout the summer, temperature records have been smashed throughout Europe. It was the warmest Austria has ever had.
August was the hottest on record for Spain, Finland, and Switzerland combined.
While the majority of Europe was hot, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, western Portugal, Iceland, and southern Norway saw lower temperatures.
El Niño warming to end.
Although El Niño, a natural climatic trend, has contributed to the record heat in 2023 and 2024, human activity has been the primary driver of the rise in global temperatures.
From June 2023 to May 2024, there was an El Niño, which is a natural warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific.
