The Earth’s average temperature continues to break records above 17 degrees centigrade, according to the Climate Reanalyzer at the University of Maine, in the United States.
According to the source, which relies on satellite data and computer simulations to make the measurements, the global average temperature on Wednesday was 17.18 degrees Celsius, equaling Tuesday’s value.
Monday had already been the hottest ever measured in world terms, surpassing the average of 17 degrees centigrade for the first time.
The average daily air temperature on the surface of the planet on Monday was measured at 17.01 degrees by a service dependent on the US Agency for Atmosphere and Oceans (NOAA, its acronym in English).
This value surpassed the previous daily record (16.92 degrees) set on July 24, 2022, according to data from NOAA’s national environmental forecasting centers.
Scientists have warned for months that 2023 could see record heat as man-made climate change, driven largely by the burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil, warms the atmosphere.
These observations are probably an anticipation of what is to come with the phenomenon called El Niño (in Spanish) – generally associated with an increase in temperatures on a global scale -, complemented by the effects of climate warming caused by human activity.
University of Maine climate scientist Sean Birkle, creator of the Climate Reanalyzer, said the daily numbers are not official, but they are useful information for what is happening in the world with regard to global warming.
Scientists often use longer measurements — months, years, decades — to track Earth’s warming, but high daily temperatures are an indication that climate change is heading into uncharted territory.
High temperature records were broken this week in Quebec, Canada, and Peru. Beijing recorded for nine consecutive days last week temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.
The year 2022 was the eighth consecutive year where average world temperatures were at least one degree higher than the levels observed between 1850 and 1900.
