The world experienced its hottest day ever recorded on Sunday, July 21.
According to preliminary data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average surface air temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record of 17.08 degrees Celsius (62.74 degrees Fahrenheit) set last July.
As per Reuters, the intense heatwave has affected large parts of the United States, Europe, and Russia over the past week.
Copernicus confirmed to Reuters that this new record, based on their data since 1940, appears to have surpassed last year's highest daily temperature.
In July of last year, the record was broken four days in a row from the 3rd to the 6th, driven by extreme heat across the Northern Hemisphere due to climate change caused by fossil fuel burning.
Since June 2023, each month has been the hottest on record compared to the same months in previous years, according to Copernicus.
Some scientists believe that 2024 could become the hottest year ever recorded, surpassing 2023.
This is due to ongoing climate change and the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon, which concluded in April but has continued to push global temperatures higher this year.
