It Was the Third Hottest July on Record This Year... Accelerating Global Warming

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[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] This July was recorded as the third hottest July on record.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) under the European Union (EU), which has been observing weather with geostationary satellites for the past 40 years, recorded this July as the third hottest July.

Last July was the hottest, followed by July 2016.

By region, New Mexico and Texas in the United States experienced the hottest July.

Record high temperatures were also measured in the Middle East. Bahrain, located next to Qatar, experienced the hottest July since 1902.

France and Belgium are preparing for possible heatwaves this coming weekend, and Italy has closed roads near the Alps to prevent damage caused by melting glaciers collapsing due to high temperatures.

The sea surface temperature in the northeastern Pacific region was measured to be about 5 degrees Celsius higher than the average temperature over the past 40 years.

The Arctic sea ice area, which is warming twice as fast as other regions, was the smallest since 1979. This opened sea routes along the Siberian coast that were previously accessible only by icebreaker ships.

Freja Bamborg, chief scientist at C3S, explained, "Global warming is occurring on a planetary scale, and the average temperature of every month is rising."

Research has also shown that high temperatures are related to wildfires.

Mark Parrington, chief scientist at C3S who has been investigating gases emitted by wildfires, said, "Looking at the amount of carbon monoxide emitted in Siberia over the past two years, it is clear that wildfires have been frequent."

Parrington added, "The carbon dioxide emitted from wildfires in Siberia this year has already reached 200 million tons, which is the largest scale in the past 17 years."