In an alarming new report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed what we feared: July 2024 marks the 14th straight month of record-breaking heat, a new all-time record in itself. But the implications go far beyond just numbers — the planet is heating up at an unprecedented pace, and the worst may be yet to come.
How did We Get Here?
It’s not the first time the planet has endured prolonged heat waves, but this latest streak is unparalleled in modern history. According to NOAA’s climatologists, only one other hot streak, from May 2015 to May 2016, comes remotely close, with 12 months of record-breaking heat. And that was during an El Niño event, a natural phenomenon that typically cranks up global temperatures.
But here’s the kicker: El Niño ended in May of this year, and the heat hasn’t let up. Even with the absence of this warming event, global temperatures continue to soar, fuelled by human-caused climate change. It’s a sign that we’re riding a runaway train of rising temperatures, and there’s no end in sight.
Is the Heat Going to Get Worse?
While some relief might be on the horizon with the potential onset of La Niña this fall — a natural counterpart to El Niño that typically brings cooler global temperatures — don’t hold your breath. The ongoing streak of heat could stretch into the coming months, with July 2024 clocking in at just three-hundredths of a degree Celsius warmer than the previous record set in July 2023. It’s a close call that leaves experts uncertain about what’s next.
NOAA climatologist Karin Gleason warns that we’re essentially riding an escalator of rising heat, with occasional bumps from El Niño and dips from La Niña. But even when we step back, we’re still higher than before. The question isn’t if another streak will come, but when. And when it does, it could shatter the records we’re seeing today.
Have we Passed the Point of No Return?
One burning question on everyone’s mind is whether we’ve crossed some invisible threshold beyond which recovery is impossible. While Gleason remains cautiously optimistic, saying there’s no “magic temperature” that we absolutely must avoid, she emphasizes that every fraction of a degree matters. Every action taken today to slow climate change can still make a difference — but the clock is ticking, and the longer we wait, the harder it will be to undo the damage.
The world is watching, and one thing is clear: we’re in uncharted territory. What we do next could determine the fate of the planet for generations to come.