Following the hottest July ever recorded on a global scale, extreme weather precedents have continued to break this year across the world as September begins.
This July, global temperatures were 0.24 degrees Celsius (0.43 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than any previous July according to NASA, and the top-five hottest summer temperatures all took place within the last five years. Following closely behind, the hottest August was also recorded, being 1.5 degrees warmer than averages from 1850-1900 (pre-industrial era), and September has already seen new highs for several eastern states in the U.S.
Though these small changes in temperature may seem insignificant, the effects that result are catastrophic. Miniscule alters in average global temperatures can throw off entire ecosystems, decrease biodiversity, and negatively influence weather patterns by interfering with biological processes. Heat waves, too, become increasingly common as mean temperatures rise.
In Illinois, multiple heat warnings were issued in recent weeks in midst of various heat waves and many cities saw new highs with Chicago experiencing a heat index of 116, just short of an index not seen since a notorious heat wave in 1995 according to WGEM.
Not only have temperatures risen dangerously high, but weather disasters such as wildfires, drought, flooding, and tropical storms have also been on the rise. Many of these have hit California, and the state is now dealing with issues regarding water reservoirs being at their capacity as a result of excessive drought. Stanford University natural resources law professor Buzz Thomspon told Time that because of global warming, “we’re going to have more severe droughts, and more severe rainy periods” in the state.
Alongside this, a disastrous wildfire ripped through Maui County, Hawaii which was named the deadliest in more than a century causing road closures, drought, and a fatality count of nearly 100.
Storms such as Hurricane Hilary reached Los Angeles in a rare occurrence and rural regions of Florida have been hit by Hurricane Idalia, which has brought millions to evacuate and is expected to be extremely costly; both storms have reached a category 3 level or higher and have left a trail of damage and flooding in their paths. In his address regarding these disasters, President Biden insisted they showed the “impact of the climate crisis” that can no longer be denied.
Like Biden, others have also credited climate change for the increased frequency and severity of these events. This year, the U.S. has already broken natural disaster records and cost over $1 billion in damages with 23 catastrophes so far and approximately $194 billion globally figured by an Aon study. Though the simple occurrence of such events cannot completely be used to prove a warming planet, the worsening of them can suggest such. After new analysis, Climate Central’s vice president Andrew Pershing said in a statement that “In every country..we saw temperatures that would be difficult–and in some cases nearly impossible– without human-caused climate change.”
Though many all over the world experienced a boiling summer, temperatures particularly in Illinois are beginning to cool down and reflect the beginning of the fall season.