Summer 2024 Was the Hottest Ever Recorded in the Northern Hemisphere
Researchers from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service have reported that the summer of 2024 was the hottest ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.
Summer 2024: Hottest in 120,000 Years, Say Scientists
Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess announced, "During the past three months of 2024, the globe experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the warmest boreal summer on record."
The global average temperature between June and August reached 16.8°C, surpassing the previous record of 14.9°C set in 2023, which had already exceeded the previous high in 2016 by a significant margin.
Although Copernicus data dates back to 1940, records from the U.S., UK, and Japan confirm that the last decade was the hottest since the mid-1800s, and some climate scientists believe it may have been the warmest in 120,000 years.
Climate Change's Impact on Germany
Climate scientist Stefan Rahmsdorf from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research told Deutsche Welle, "These alarming numbers show how the climate crisis is tightening its grip on us." Burgess warned that extreme weather events driven by climate change will only become more severe unless governments take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.
In 2024, Germany has already seen severe weather, including floods in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in June, killing nine people.
With hotter summers becoming more common, the German government has updated guidelines for heatwaves, advising citizens to drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activities during peak heat, and protect themselves from the sun with proper clothing and sunscreen.
In 2023, Germany had the third-highest number of heat-related deaths in Europe, after Italy and Spain, with 6,376 fatalities. Many of these deaths were among individuals with pre-existing health conditions like heart and lung disease, as extreme heat exacerbates stress on the body.