New data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration came as little surprise as Earth had its hottest July in 174 years. NOAA also said July 2023 likely ended up as the hottest month ever in recorded human history.
NASA also said July 2023 was the hottest month on record. NASA said last month was 0.43 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than any other July in NASA’s record. NOAA's data was similar, finding last month was 0.36 degrees warmer than the previous July record from 2021.
"NASA data confirms what billions around the world literally felt: temperatures in July 2023 made it the hottest month on record. In every corner of the country, Americans are right now experiencing firsthand the effects of the climate crisis, underscoring the urgency of President Biden’s historic climate agenda," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "The science is clear. We must act now to protect our communities and planet; it’s the only one we have."
Global sea ice levels were also the lowest ever recorded in the month of July, NOAA said.
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The impact isn't just being felt on land, but also in the sea. The average sea surface temperature, which obliterated records for the month, remains the hottest on record.
Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has shown a number of global weather extremes this year. NOAA recorded the hottest average global temperature ever on July 6. NOAA also recorded the hottest average temperature ever for the Northern Hemisphere last month.
Last month, The United Nations reported the hottest three-week period ever recorded, the three hottest days on record, and the highest-ever sea-surface temperatures for this time of year.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the data makes it clear that human-driven climate change is to blame for the spike.
"It is terrifying and it is just the beginning," Guterres said in late July. "The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived. The air is unbreathable, the heat is unbearable and the level of fossil fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable."
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U.S. officials agreed that human-caused climate change is behind the warming.
“This July was not just warmer than any previous July – it was the warmest month in our record, which goes back to 1880,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. “The science is clear this isn’t normal. Alarming warming around the world is driven primarily by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. And that rise in average temperatures is fueling dangerous extreme heat that people are experiencing here at home and worldwide.”
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