Photo courtesy of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies This map shows global temperature anomalies for July 2023 according analyses by scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Temperature anomalies reflect how July 2023 compared to the average July temperature from 1951-1980.
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NASA: July was hottest month in recorded history; but Detroit area was cooler, wetter

By Jim Bloch

If you happened to be in Phoenix, AZ this summer for 19 consecutive days with temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit or swimming off south Florida in 100 degree water, you probably are not surprised to learn that July 2023 set the record for the hottest month in recorded world history.

“July 2023 was hotter than any other month in the global temperature record,” said scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, in an Aug. 14 release.

July 2023 was 0.43 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than any other July in NASA’s record and 2.1  F warmer than the average July between 1951 and 1980.

“In every corner of the country, Americans are right now experiencing firsthand the effects of the climate crisis …,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “The science is clear. We must act now to protect our communities and planet; it’s the only one we have.”

Meanwhile, the metropolitan Detroit region was cooler and wetter than normal.

“The average temperature of 73.7°F was 0.4° below normal, and the 5.37 inches of precipitation was 153% of the normal amount (data are from SC-ACIS and normal is defined relative to the 1991-2020 NCEI climate normal),” said Peter Gerard, the communications director of the nonprofit Climate Central, via email.  “Despite this month being cooler than normal, Julys in Detroit are getting hotter, leading to a change of 3.4°F since 1970.”

One of the consequences of global warming is the increased frequency and intensity of wet weather events as evaporating water from the land and lakes returns to earth The late July storms cost the city of Port Huron more than $290,000 in cleanup-related work than expected. In St. Clair, hail damaged the roof of Riverview Plaza downtown, closing many businesses.

On the other hand, a number of regions of the world were dramatically hotter than normal. Some areas in South America, North Africa, North America, and the Antarctic Peninsula clocked in at a mind-numbing 7.2 degrees F above average.

Scientists attribute global warming to the burning of fossil fuels by humans, which emit carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gasses into the atmosphere. Despite efforts to reverse the trend, the five hottest Julys in history have come in the last five years.

“Climate change is impacting people and ecosystems around the world, and we expect many of these impacts to escalate with continued warming,” said Katherine Calvin, chief scientist and senior climate advisor at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in the NASA statement. “Our agency observes climate change, its impacts, and its drivers, like greenhouse gases, and we are committed providing this information to help people plan for the future.”

“This July was not just warmer than any previous July – it was the warmest month in our record, which goes back to 1880,” said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. “The science is clear this isn’t normal. Alarming warming around the world is driven primarily by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. And that rise in average temperatures is fueling dangerous extreme heat that people are experiencing here at home and worldwide.”

High sea surface temperatures contributed to July’s record warmth, the agency said.

Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com. 

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