But Arndt added that we would not see record warm days unless we were in “a warm part of what is likely to be a very warm era” driven by greenhouse gas emissions and the onset of a “strong” El Niño. El Niño is a temporary natural warming of parts of the central Pacific Ocean that changes the climate around the world and generally makes the planet warmer.
Human-caused climate change is like an ascending escalator for global temperatures, and El Niño is like jumping while standing on that escalator, Arndt said.
The global average daily temperature for July 3 was 17.01 degrees Celsius, or 62.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the University of Maine. Weather Reanalyzer, a common tool often used by climate scientists to get a good idea of the condition of the world. The reanalyzer is based on a NOAA computer simulation for forecasting using satellite data. It is not based on observations reported from the ground. So this unofficial record is effectively using a weather tool designed for forecasting, not record keeping.
This average temperature may not seem that high, but it is the first time in the 44 years of this data set that the temperature has surpassed the 17 degree Celsius mark.
Higher global average temperatures mean brutal conditions for people around the world. In the US, heat advisories are in effect this week for more than 30 million people in places including parts of western Oregon, far northern California, central New Mexico, Texas, Florida and the coasts of the Carolinas, according to the Weather Prediction Center of the National Meteorological Service. Excessive heat warnings continue in southern Arizona and California, they said.
When the heat rises, humans suffer health effects.
“Those higher temperatures that happen when we get hotter than normal? People are not used to that. Their bodies are not used to it,” said Erinanne Saffell, an Arizona state climatologist and an expert on extreme weather and climate events.
Saffell added that the risk is already high for youth and adults, who are vulnerable to heat even under normal conditions.
“It’s important to understand who might be at risk, make sure people are hydrated, stay cool and don’t exert themselves outdoors and take care of those around you who might also be at risk,” he said. .
