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The world experienced its second-warmest July on record, with extreme heat, drought, wildfires, heavy rainfall and other weather-related hazards affecting multiple regions, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Tuesday.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European Union’s climate monitoring programme, global average surface air temperatures in July were 1.47°C above the estimated pre-industrial baseline. Global sea-surface temperatures were also the highest ever recorded for the month.
The WMO stressed the urgent need for stronger weather forecasting and early warning systems to protect lives and livelihoods as extreme weather events intensify.
Heat, drought and wildfire risks
Western Europe recorded its hottest June-July period on record, with countries including Switzerland and France experiencing their fourth heatwave of the summer.
WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said severe drought was having major impacts on agriculture, harvests, transport, energy supplies and river levels, while the combination of high temperatures and dry conditions was increasing wildfire risks.
The extreme heat has also affected parts of Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Japan and South Korea recorded exceptional and record-breaking temperatures last week.
John Kennedy, head of climate information at the WMO, said low rainfall and extreme heat had contributed to drought, low river levels and increased wildfire risks. Major European rivers, including the Seine, Rhine and Danube, have experienced reduced water flows.
Wildfire activity has also intensified. Nullis said western Europe experienced exceptionally high wildfire activity in July in terms of both the area burned and emissions.
France is on course for one of its most severe wildfire seasons of the past 24 years, while fire emissions in Spain are also well above average for this time of year.
In North America, wildfires continue to burn across parts of the western United States. Canada had 591 active fires as of Monday, including 43 classified as out of control.
Heavy rain and floods
Extreme weather has not been limited to heat and drought. Heavy monsoon rainfall and flooding have affected parts of West Africa, while the WMO warned of heavy rain, flash floods and landslides in parts of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Southeast Asia.
China also carried out mass evacuations ahead of Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th named storm of the season, amid repeated warnings of dangerous flooding.
Kennedy said the recent extremes reflected the combined effects of long-term global warming and a persistent pattern of alternating high- and low-pressure systems across the Northern Hemisphere.
High-pressure systems generally bring hotter and drier conditions because descending air warms and suppresses cloud formation, allowing more sunlight to reach the surface. They can also block cooler air and persist for days or weeks.
El Niño adds to warming concerns
With El Niño now established in the Pacific, the WMO expects global temperatures to rise further. Global temperatures typically peak after the El Niño peak, which usually occurs between November and January.
Against this backdrop, the WMO and its member countries are working to strengthen forecasting and early warning systems.
Nullis said the Early Warnings for All initiative remains the organisation’s overriding priority as countries face increasingly frequent and intense weather extremes.