Comment: July confirmed as hottest month ever recorded

Commenting on new analysis confirming July will be the hottest month ever recorded [1], Gareth Redmond-King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “Last year was the UK's hottest. We’ve just had the hottest June, a succession of the world’s hottest days, and hottest sea surface temperatures. Heat records tumble, wildfires rage, Antarctic sea-ice is at its lowest by some considerable way, and dangerous storms are flooding towns and cities in many parts of the world.

“And now July is the hottest month ever experienced by modern humans. These are ever more urgent reminders that if we don’t bring emissions down to net zero, these extremes will continue to get worse. That means heat humps and energy efficiency for our homes, electric vehicles on our roads, and more wind and solar to power it all. All the polling shows the British public are concerned by these climate impacts, back plans for net zero and see renewables as the top economic growth sector for the UK.

“But we have also made commitments to support the poorest nations to adapt and to recover from climate disaster. As well as being the human thing to do, it’s the rational response given we import half our food, and half of that comes from those very places most exposed to climate impacts. Estimates suggest climate change and the gas price crisis already added £400 to household food bills last year.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The analysis comes from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the World Meteorological Organization and Dr Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist at Leipzig University.

For more information:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net