Heat in Europe and Asia closes another extremely warm month for planet

July 2024 · 3 minute read

Earth has a long-running fever that shows little signs of easing. The planet has set high temperature records in each of the last nine months, and March is poised to become the 10th. Multiple locations around the world observed unprecedented heat on the month’s final weekend, as if to put an exclamation mark on this exceptional run of warmth.

The weekend heat was most widespread in Europe, where many countries set national high temperature records for March. But it was also unusually warm in Asia, parts of Central America and West Africa.

Human-caused climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is fueling this warmth, with an assist from the El Niño climate pattern.

Summerlike heat in Europe

It felt more like summer than early spring in Eastern Europe over the weekend, with temperatures soaring into the 70s and 80s, about 20 to 35 degrees above normal.

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Eight countries set national records for March warmth:

Scores of high temperature records also were set in Greece, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia.

Summerlike heat in Asia

To the east, all of Japan bathed in midsummer temperatures to end March, returning to conditions that delivered one of the country’s warmest winters on record.

“Jaw-dropping July-like heat blanketed Japan on March 31. 70 places broke or tied the monthly record,” Sayaka Mori, meteorologist with NHK World, wrote on X.

On the 31st, the temperature reached 82.6 degrees (28.1 C) in Tokyo, which beat the previous monthly record by around 5 degrees in observations that date to 1876.

The sudden arrival of heat followed an unusually chilly period in Tokyo, where its famed cherry blossoms bloomed on the latest date in 12 years.

Numerous other cities on the main island of Honshu set March high temperature records on Sunday, including Fuji, Nakamura, Narita, Tsukuba and Yokohama. Records were set across most of the length of that island.

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Locations in Asia to the south and east of Japan have observed ever more enduring heat. Hong Kong had its hottest March day on the 24th, hitting 88.7 degrees (31.5 C). Phuket, Thailand, tied its hottest temperature ever recorded in any month on March 27, soaring to 102.6 degrees (39.2 C).

Record heat elsewhere

Record heat also closed the month in parts of West Africa, Central America and several tropical locations around the world.

It reached 111.2 degrees (44 C) in La Fragua, Guatemala, the highest on record for Central America. Costa Rica hit its highest temperature on record multiple times, reaching as high as 106.7 degrees (41.5 C), while cities in surrounding countries also posted all-time highs.

The Solomon Islands recently registered their hottest March day, with high temperatures up to 95.9 degrees (35.5 C).

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In addition to the barrage of record highs, even more records for exceptionally warm nights have been set.

Heat fits into pattern

A study published Friday in Science Advances found that heat waves are lasting longer and covering greater distances.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there is a 45.1 percent chance that 2024 will be the warmest year on record, surpassing 2023, and a 99.9 percent chance that it will rank among the top five warmest years. To date, global air and sea surface temperatures have remained at record-high levels every day, well above those observed at the same time one year ago.

Because the El Niño climate pattern — which naturally adds heat to the planet — is forecast to dissipate heading into the summer, the exceptional global warmth may ease slightly in the months ahead.

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