August 2024 was the hottest August ever recorded globally, with an average temperature of 16.96 degrees Celsius, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The figure was 0.01 degrees above the previous August record and 1.65 degrees above pre-industrial levels, exceeding the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement benchmark.
Eight of the hottest months on record have occurred since July 2023, while the Northern Hemisphere also experienced its hottest summer on record.
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Ocean Temperatures Also Hit Extremes
Global sea surface temperatures in August matched the record set in March 2024, while Aug. 22 was the hottest day ever recorded for the world’s oceans. Warmer seas can intensify storms, disrupt marine ecosystems and increase the risks and costs associated with extreme weather.
Fossil Fuels Remain The Main Driver
El Niño has contributed to the current heat, but scientists say it is a temporary amplifier of long-term warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.
“While El Niño is starting to ramp up the heat, the underlying driver remains our relentless burning of fossil fuels,” said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London. Copernicus climate lead Samantha Burgess said El Niño typically adds only 0.1 to 0.2 degrees Celsius to global temperatures.
Extreme Heat Creates Economic Risks
A strong El Niño can increase the likelihood of heatwaves, drought, heavy rainfall, flooding and wildfires. These conditions can disrupt supply chains, increase insurance losses and energy demand, and put additional pressure on infrastructure.
Climate scientists say the latest records are consistent with projections of human-driven warming. Burgess said climate impacts are increasingly affecting daily life through school closures, pressure on hospitals and damage to roads and railways.
Copernicus records extend back to 1940, while US records compiled by NOAA begin in 1895. Other global datasets extend to 1880, although they take longer to compile. The latest data show that extreme heat is already creating practical risks for economies, infrastructure and public health.
