21 of the 30 hottest days ever recorded occurred in July this year

The Hottest Month on Record: July 2023

As heat waves grip North America, Asia, and Europe, and wildfires ravage countries including Canada and Greece, temperatures are hitting new highs. The first three weeks of July this year were the warmest three-week period on record, data from the World Meteorological Organization and Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) show.

21 of the 30 Hottest Days Ever Occurred in July 2023

1. July 3: The world recorded its hottest day ever—a record then beaten on July 4, 5, and 6. All days since then have broken the previous record of 16.8°C (62.24°F), set on Aug, 13, 2016.

July 2023 was the Hottest July to Date

The current month is not only on track to be the hottest July on record, but also the hottest month ever.

What’s Making the Earth Hotter?

Carlo Buontempo, director of the C3S at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), blamed “anthropogenic emissions” for being the main driver of rising temperatures. Buontempo was referring to greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activities, such as burning fossil fuel, which slow the release of heat into space, warming the planet. The world has already heated up by about 1.2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, and scientists believe further increases in temperatures would progressively make life on Earth inhospitable to most species, including humans.

Quotable: “Global Boiling”

“The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived. The air is unbreathable. The heat is unbearable. And the level of fossil-fuel profits and climate inaction is unacceptable.” — UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a speech at the UN headquarters in New York City yesterday (July 27). Guterres has repeatedly advocated for a transition away from fossil fuels to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

Hotter Earth, by the Digits

• 17.08°C (62.74°F): The global average temperature on the hottest day ever, on July 6. The values recorded on July 5 and 7 were within 0.01°C of this, the two climate research outfits said.
• 16.95°C (62.51°F): Global mean surface air temperature averaged for the first 23 days of July 2023, well above 16.63°C recorded for the full month of July 2019—currently the warmest July and warmest month on record.
• 98%: Likelihood that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record, according to the WMO’s predictions.
• 38.44°C (101.19°F): Highest temperature point recorded in the waters of Florida’s Manatee Bay on July 24, which is within the range of hot tubs temperature.
• 52.2°C (25.96°F): China set a new national temperature record on July 16.
• 400+: US Workers who have died due to environmental heat exposure since 2011, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

One More Thing: Biden Wants to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat

US president Joe Biden yesterday (July 27) announced a plan to protect workers from extreme heat and met with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona, and San Antonio, Texas—sweltering cities like where triple-digit Fahrenheit temperatures have persisted for weeks and tens of millions of people have been put under heat advisories.

The measures include directing the Department of Labor to ramp up inspections and issue hazard alerts in vulnerable jobs, such as construction, farm work, and firefighting. Funding of up to $7 million from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act will go towards the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve its weather forecasts. Additionally, the Department of the Interior will invest $152 million from Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand water storage and enhance climate resilience in California, Colorado, and Washington.

While announcing the measures, the president said “Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change, peddle conspiracy theories,” but he will continue to call out states that weren’t doing enough to protect workers from extreme heat. Biden stopped short of naming-and-shaming, but if he had, Texas governor Greg Abbot and his recent bill banning water breaks would’ve been first in line.

Related Stories

• The world just recorded its hottest day ever
• The UK’s hottest year on record might just become the norm by 2060
• A climate emergency declaration won’t fix America’s climate problem

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning
   • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
   • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into their national policies, strategies, and planning
   • Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination
   • Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.8: Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers
   • Indicator 8.8.1: Frequency rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries, by sex and migrant status

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   • Under SDG 13: Climate Action, the specific targets identified are:
     • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
     • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
     • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning
   • Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, the specific target identified is:
     • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination
   • Under SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, the specific target identified is:
     • Target 8.8: Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. The indicators are:

   • Indicator 13.1.1: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
   • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into their national policies, strategies, and planning
   • Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have communicated the

     Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

     Source: qz.com

      

     

     Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.