World ocean temperatures hit a record high for July, averaging 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.7 degrees Fahrenheit) across all global oceans outside the polar regions, according to scientificamerican.com citing data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Monitoring Service. The extreme heat was driven by El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which typically produce warmer ocean temperatures, according to scientificamerican.com.
Global Air Temperatures and European Droughts
Global average air temperatures last month reached 16.9 degrees Celsius (62.42 degrees Fahrenheit), tying with July 2024 as the second-warmest July on record, according to scientificamerican.com. That figure sits just shy of the record set in July 2023 at 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 degrees Fahrenheit), according to scientificamerican.com citing the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
Europe has experienced three consecutive months of extreme heat, leading to widespread drier-than-average soil conditions and drought across Western and Central Europe, according to scientificamerican.com. Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, stated in a statement reported by scientificamerican.com that the tinderbox conditions also drove record-setting extreme wildfires across the continent.
“Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought,” Burgess said, according to scientificamerican.com. “As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily. This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.”
Regional Conflict and International Developments
Beyond climate data, ongoing geopolitical developments continued to unfold internationally. Ukrainian armed forces launched a long-range drone attack targeting a Russian oil refinery located approximately 1,000 kilometres east of Moscow.
In legal and political news, football confederations representing more than half of FIFA’s total members issued a joint statement criticizing FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, the trial of a former gang leader accused of involvement in the death of rapper Tupac Shakur officially got underway.
In South Africa, a BBC investigation uncovered evidence suggesting that South African special forces could have been involved in the death of a police detective. In India, local police deployed water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators protesting civil service examinations.
Cultural and domestic stories also drew attention, including actor Michael Sheen speaking about his documentary detailing the historic burying of toxic chemicals, and a Florida zoo hiring a full-time acupuncture therapist to treat animals.
