In July 2023, temperature records tumbled as both the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth Observation Program declared it to be the hottest month in recorded history, pointing to data highlighting a trifecta of alarming statistics: the warmest three-week period, three days of blistering heat peaks, and unprecedentedly high ocean temperatures for this time of the year.

Responding to the startling data, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, speaking in New York, didn’t hold back. He coined the term “era of global boiling” and issued a passionate plea for immediate climate action. “The month produced the period of the warmest three weeks, the three hottest days and the highest ocean temperatures for this time of the year,” he reiterated.

But, statistics aside, alarming observations of global warming have been making headlines. Droughts have grown in intensity and severity, and forest fires— often a symptom of summer— are now starting earlier and erupting outside their regular seasons. Moreover, a particularly chilling projection indicates that soon, for the first time, the Arctic Ocean might go an entire summer without its protective sheet of ice.

The WMO’s projections add to the growing concern. Far from being a unique incident, July’s record is likely a foreboding of hotter days to come. The organization has calculated a staggering 98% likelihood that one of the upcoming five years will outdo 2023’s heat record. In addition, there’s a 66% probability that within this five-year window, global temperatures will surge past the 1.5°C mark above pre-industrial levels.

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