Europe Records the Warmest June on Record: A Alarming Climate Trend

June recorded the highest global temperatures, with the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service confirming it as the warmest June ever. This marks the 12th consecutive month with temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average. Scientists warn of the lasting impacts of climate change, with new temperature records expected due to greenhouse gases.

With millions experiencing scorching heat last month, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) confirmed June was the warmest on record.

This also marked the 12th consecutive month with global temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.

Since June last year, every month has been the warmest such month on record.

January marked an entire year with mean surface air temperature exceeding the 1.5-degree threshold. June continued this trend, showing monthly average temperatures above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, world leaders aimed to limit global average temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period to avoid severe climate impacts. However, a permanent breach of this limit refers to long-term warming over 20 or 30 years.

Earth's surface temperature has already increased by around 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the 1850-1900 average, due to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. This warming is behind record droughts, wildfires, and floods globally.

June 2024 was the warmest on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.66 degrees Celsius, 0.67 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for the month and 0.14 degrees Celsius above the previous June 2023 high.

''June was 1.5 degrees Celsius above the estimated June average for 1850-1900, making it the 12th consecutive month to reach or break the 1.5-degree threshold,'' C3S stated.

This was also the 13th consecutive month of record-high temperatures, driven by the 2023-24 El Niño event and human-caused climate change. A similar streak occurred in 2015-2016.

''This highlights a continuing climate shift. Even if this streak ends, new records are inevitable unless greenhouse gas emissions stop,'' said Carlo Buontempo, C3S director.

(With inputs from agencies.)