According to preliminary readings made on Tuesday by US meteorologists, Monday was the world's hottest day on record, surpassing an average of 17 degrees Celsius (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time.
An agency connected to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded the average daily air temperature on the surface of the globe as 17.01C on July 3, according to PhysOrg.
Data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction dating back to 1979 show that this reading exceeds the previous daily record (16.92C), which was established on July 24 of last year.
Between 1979 and 2000, the global average air temperature, which varies daily from 12 to slightly under 17 degrees Celsius, was 16.2 degrees at the start of July.
The Summer Season May Surpass the Record
The record has not yet been verified by other measures, but with summer officially starting in the northern hemisphere, it may soon be surpassed. Typically, the average worldwide temperature rises through the end of July or the beginning of August.
Even as recently as last month, the Copernicus climate monitoring system of the European Union recorded the hottest average worldwide temperatures for the month of June.
Read also: New Mexico Regulators Crack Down on Oil Producers Burning Off Natural Gas
What Causes Extreme Heat?
With the commencement of an El Nino weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, which the World Meteorological Organization certified on Monday is currently underway, temperatures are anticipated to soar even farther above historical averages over the course of the next year.
Additionally, approximately 40 billion metric tons of CO2 that warms the earth each year are still being released into the atmosphere by human activity, primarily the combustion of fossil fuels.
(Photo: by Mario Tama/Getty Images) RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - SEPTEMBER 08: People gather on a hot winter day on Ipanema Beach in the Atlantic Ocean on September 8, 2017, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to NOAA, global temperatures over the first six months of 2017 have been the second-highest on record. NOAA also stated that Earth's land temperatures for July were the hottest ever recorded.
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth's surface. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, trap heat in the atmosphere, which keeps the Earth warm. However, human activities have increased the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is causing the greenhouse effect to become stronger and the Earth to warm.
The sun's activity can also affect the Earth's temperature. For example, solar flares can release large amounts of energy into the atmosphere, which can cause the Earth to warm. However, the sun's activity has been relatively stable over the past few decades, so it is not the main cause of the recent warming trend.
Changes in land use, such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, can also release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation reduces the number of trees that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and the burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Related article: Will London's Expanding Clean Air Zone Affect the Economy?
