This summer was hotter for almost everyone in the world, study says
Nearly all of the worlds population experienced higher temperatures because of climate change this summer, according to an analysis of 202 countries and territories. The past three months shattered heat records and brought raging wildfires to swaths of the world including in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America, with scientists now declaring it the hottest summer on record by a large margin. Climate agencies have said July was the hottest month in 174 years of record-keeping. This was the worlds hottest summer on record by a large margin The new, peer-reviewed report produced by Climate Central and published Thursday examined temperatures in 180 countries and 22 territories around the world. The U.S.-based research group said in a news release that almost 8 billion people, or 98 percent of the worlds population, were exposed to higher temperatures that were two times more likely to have been caused by heat-trapping carbon pollution in Earths atmosphere. Virtually no one on Earth escaped the influence of global warming during the past three months, said Andrew Pershing, Climate Centrals vice president for science. In every country we could analyze, including the Southern Hemisphere, where this is the coolest time of year, we saw temperatures that would be difficult and in some cases nearly impossible without human-caused climate change, Pershing said. Climate Central evaluates how climate change is affecting temperatures and heat events by using data and computer models to create simulations of a world with and without carbon emissions. Between June and August, which the researchers referred to as this summer, they found that 6.2 billion people had at least one day of average temperature conditions that were made at least five times more likely by climate change. Deadly floods hit Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria as extreme weather swarms Europe In the Northern Hemispheres summer, nearly half of the global population experienced 30 or more days of temperatures made at least three times more likely by climate change, the report said. And it found that at least 1.5 billion people were exposed to a very strong influence of climate change every single day during the Northern Hemisphere summer. The researchers also said the influence of climate change was inequitably distributed throughout the world, having a greater impact on people in the U.N. groupings of least-developed countries and small-island developing states. Eight months in, this year ranks as the second-warmest year on record, The Washington Post has reported . Record-breaking heat wave peaking in Eastern U.S. with highs near 100 August became the planets second-hottest month on record, closely following July, as heat waves in North America and southern Europe sparked wildfires that scorched land , caused deaths and prompted mass evacuations . Scientists have warned that this summer of extreme heat should be a wake-up call for greater urgency about reducing carbon emissions. Breaking heat records has become the norm in 2023, Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College Londons Grantham Institute, said in a statement Thursday. As long as we burn fossil fuels, these events will become more and more intense, providing ever greater barriers to adaptation, she said. Dan Stillman contributed to this report. Understanding our climate: Global warming is a real phenomenon , and weather disasters are undeniably linked to it . As temperatures rise, heat waves are more often sweeping the globe and parts of the world are becoming too hot to survive . What can be done? The Post is tracking a variety of climate solutions , as well as the Biden administrations actions on environmental issues . It can feel overwhelming facing the impacts of climate change, but there are ways to cope with climate anxiety . Inventive solutions: Some people have built off-the-grid homes from trash to stand up to a changing climate. As seas rise, others are exploring how to harness marine energy . What about your role in climate change? Our climate coach Michael J. Coren is answering questions about environmental choices in our everyday lives. Submit yours here. You can also sign up for our Climate Coach newsletter .