Last month was one of the three hottest Julys on record globally, satellite data shows – while for southwestern Europe it was the hottest in terms of peak heat.
Temperatures above 104F (40C) were observed in parts of Portugal, Spain, France and the UK, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
This led to an all-time maximum temperature record across the region, including in the UK, which recorded its hottest day on July 19, 2022.
On average, July 2022 was the sixth hottest July for Europe on record.
C3S data reveals a prolonged heatwave intensity that started in Portugal and Spain, before continuing north and east towards France, the UK, Central Europe and Scandinavia.
The Iberian Peninsula experiences an unusually large number of days with maximum temperatures above 95°F (35°C), underlining the region’s longevity of heat.
Scorching: Last month was one of the three hottest Julys on record globally, satellite data shows — while for southwestern Europe it was the hottest in terms of peak heat
Temperatures above 104F (40C) are observed in parts of Portugal, Spain, France and the UK, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
This led to an all-time maximum temperature record across the region, including in the UK, which experienced its hottest day on record on 19 July 2022.
Globally, July 2022 is one of the three hottest Julys on record, approaching 0.7°F 0.4°C over the 1991-2020 reference period.
It was only slightly cooler than July 2019 and slightly warmer than July 2016.
In general, the landmass of the Northern Hemisphere experienced mostly above-average temperatures, the data revealed, while much of Australia and Central Asia experienced below-average temperatures.
Senior Scientist for the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Freja Vamborg, said: ‘We can expect to continue to see more frequent and longer periods of very high temperatures, as global temperatures continue to rise.
‘Heat waves pose serious risks to human health, and they can increase the intensity and longevity of many other catastrophic climatic events including forest fires and droughts, affecting communities and natural ecosystems.
‘In addition, the dry conditions from previous months combined with the high temperatures and low levels of rainfall seen in many areas during July may have an adverse effect on agricultural production and other industries such as river transport and energy production.’
C3S regularly publishes monthly climate bulletins reporting observed changes in global surface air temperature, sea ice cover, and hydrological variables.
All reported findings are based on computer-generated analysis using billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world.
July 2022 was drier than average for much of Europe, with record low local rainfall breaking in the west and droughts in some locations in the southwest and southeast of the continent.
Anomalies of monthly global mean surface air temperature relative to 1991-2020, from January 1979 to July 2022. Darker bars indicate July values
Anomaly of European monthly mean surface air temperature relative to 1991-2020, from January 1979 to July 2022. Again, darker colored bars indicate July values
These conditions facilitate the spread and intensification of forest fires, experts say.
It is also drier than average across much of North America, much of South America, Central Asia and Australia.
Wetter-than-average conditions are particularly noteworthy in eastern Russia, northern China, and the large wet band that runs from eastern Africa across Asia to northwestern India.
Alarmingly, Antarctica’s sea ice area hit its lowest value for July in a 44-year satellite data record, seven percent below the average, well below the previous record.
The Southern Ocean sees large areas of below-average sea ice concentrations from the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas to the northern Weddell Sea, as well as in most sectors of the Indian Ocean.
Arctic sea ice area is 4 percent below average, ranking the 12th lowest for July in the satellite record, well above the July low seen in 2019–2021.
