Climate Spiral Shows July 2023 Has The Highest Monthly Temperature Anomaly Since 1880

The hottest month on record (since 1880) was July 2023. The July of 2023 broke the previous record for warmth by 0.24 degrees Celsius (0.43 degrees Fahrenheit). In comparison to the base period of 1951–1980, the global averaged temperature in July 2023 was 1.18 degrees Celsius (2.12 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the usual July temperature. According to MERRA-2 realalysis data, July is likewise often the warmest month of the year. All of these elements worked together to make July 2023 the hottest month since 1880.

Anomalies in temperature are departures from the long-term global average. In this instance, the baseline for the anomaly is defined as the years 1951 to 1980. Based on an estimate of the change in the world's surface temperature, the GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP v4), these temperature anomalies were calculated.

Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio