Hottest Day Ever Recorded on Earth

Hottest Day Ever Recorded

Monday, July 22, 2024 was the hottest day in recorded history. According to the European climate service, the average temperature on Earth was 17.15 degrees Celsius, or 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous day also set a record for the hottest day ever recorded, but Monday beat that record by another 0.06C, or 0.1F. Experts say this record hot streak is driven by oceans that won’t cool down, an unseasonably warm Antarctica, and worsening climate change. Between July 18-24, 2024, more than 1,600 locations across the globe tied or broke heat records, according to NOAA. Studies indicate that we are now in the hottest period in the last 10,000 years.

Sibi Arasu and Seth Borenstein, Associated Press

Climate Change Makes Us More Susceptible to Blackouts

Longer and stronger heat waves are putting a strain on electrical grids. Large portions of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas are projected to endure more than 4 months each year where the temperature will be high enough to compromise transformers. As a result, blackouts caused by overheated electrical equipment could become more frequent. Electrical transformers help power to be sent over long distances. But when they overheat, they do not perform as well, and can fail completely, causing blackouts. If a blackout occurs, people cannot cool themselves down, and could cause heat stroke, dehydration, and heart attacks. In a recent study, it is estimated that Phoenix will experience 126 days each year with heat that reduces transformers’ performance by mid-century. A power outage during a heat wave could kill thousands of people according to a study last year.

Harry Stevens, The Washington Post

Microbes Living in Trees Remove Methane from the Atmosphere

Trees have long been known to benefit the climate by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but new research reveals a surprising additional climate benefit. An international team of researchers found that microbes living in bark or in the wood itself are removing atmospheric methane on a scale equal to or above that of soil. They estimate that this newly discovered process makes trees 10% more beneficial for climate than previously thought. Methane is responsible for around 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times and emissions are rising fast. The study suggests that planting more trees and reducing deforestation could help to cut methane emissions. Preliminary calculations show that the total global contribution of trees is between 24.6-49.9 millions of tons of methane.

University of Birmingham, Phys.org