Average Global Temperature 17.18°C on the 4th... Updated in One Day
El Ni?o Peak in November-December, Heatwave Expected to Continue
The record for the 'hottest day in climate observation history' was broken after just one day. On the 4th, the global average daily temperature soared to 17.18 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 17.01 degrees set on the 3rd. The problem is that the heatwave is expected to continue.
On the 5th (local time), the UK Guardian cited data from the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction, reporting that the global average daily temperature reached 17.18 degrees Celsius the previous day. This means the record was broken in just one day, which is even more remarkable considering the previous highest global average temperature record was 16.92 degrees in August 2016.
According to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this year’s heat is due to the 'El Ni?o phenomenon' occurring for the first time in four years. El Ni?o refers to a condition where the sea surface temperature in the equatorial eastern Pacific monitoring area rises by '0.5 degrees or more' and persists for over five months. As of the 6th, the sea surface temperature in the eastern Pacific was about 3 to 4 degrees higher than usual.
The calculation of the Earth's temperature averages observational data from both land and sea, so sea surface temperature has a significant impact. Since about 70% of the Earth is covered by oceans, the higher the sea surface temperature, the more the global average temperature rises.
El Ni?o itself is not a weather anomaly, but experts agree that attention should be paid to the fact that the sea surface temperature in the western Pacific is also rising. Typically, during El Ni?o events, the western Pacific sea surface temperature decreases, but this year it is about 0.5 to 1 degree warmer than usual.
Since the peak of El Ni?o is expected in November to December, the sea surface temperature in the eastern Pacific is likely to rise further. Paulo Ceppi, a climatologist at the Grantham Institute of Imperial College London, said, "El Ni?o has not yet reached its peak, and summer is in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere. It would not be surprising if records are broken again in the coming days or weeks."
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forecasted that El Ni?o will develop with a 'moderate' or higher intensity by the end of this year. 'Moderate' means a state where the sea surface temperature in the monitoring area remains '1 degree or more' above normal.
Accordingly, countries around the world are also suffering from heatwaves. The heatwave in Europe, which has continued since last year, has recently been severe in the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Some regions in China have experienced heat exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Abnormal high temperatures have also been observed in the southern United States.
South Korea is no exception to the heatwave phenomenon. Tropical nights have already been experienced nationwide since June, before the full start of the monsoon season. This is the second time in recorded history, following last year. Today, marking Soseo (小暑), the solar term when the real heat begins, the central region is expected to continue experiencing hot weather with daytime highs soaring up to 33 degrees Celsius.
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