Global Heat Record Falls, Only to Be Broken Again the Next Day

It didn’t take long for the planet to set a new record for the hottest day ever recorded by scientists. The top spot was claimed on July 21, according to NASA, only for it to be topped the very next day. What makes this data even more concerning is that July 23 was only slightly cooler, and if not for the two preceding days, it would have set the record.

NASA collects global temperature data through millions of instruments on land, sea, and air, as well as satellites, and combines this data into a comprehensive model. That model showed temperatures reaching a global average of over 17 degrees Celsius (62.6 Fahrenheit) on July 22. 

“In a year that has been the hottest on record to date, these past two weeks have been particularly brutal,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement. “Through our over two dozen Earth-observing satellites and over 60 years of data, NASA is providing critical analyses of how our planet is changing and how local communities can prepare, adapt, and stay safe.”

It’s just the latest record in a rapidly warming world. This past May was the warmest May on record according to NASA, concluding a 12-month period in which global temperatures hit record highs each month. That included July of 2023, the hottest month since accurate data collection began in 1880.

The ever-increasing temperatures have gotten so extreme that the National Weather Service and Centers for Disease Control have had to alter their heat risk system. In April, the agencies added a new color, magenta, to denote long-duration heat with no overnight relief. 

If the heat doesn’t have you sweating, perhaps this will: AI-driven climate models predict that the global climate will reach a catastrophic point at the midpoint of this century.