Why 2024 could become the hottest year on record

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FOR SOME Europeans it might be hard to believe that the Earth has broken a new temperature record. While parts of America, Asia, the Middle East and indeed southern Europe have suffered deadly heatwaves, many European countries have been soaked by record rainfall that has made summer feel dreary. Temperatures in parts of western Europe have been around or below average in June. But data from Copernicus, the EU’s Earth-observation programme, show that globally, it is sweltering. Average global air-temperature records have been broken on two consecutive days. On July 22nd air temperatures reached 17.16°C (62.89°F), breaking the record of 17.09°C set just one day prior. The previous record of 17.08°C  had stood since only July 6th 2023.