Second warmest June on record: 1.39 °C above preindustrial level

Second warmest June on record: 1.39 °C above preindustrial level

The Climate Bulletin has just published the data for June 2024: the global temperature stood 1.39 °C above the preindustrial average, making it the second warmest June on record. Western Europe suffered its hottest June in history, with an intense heatwave. And the sea surface temperature in the 60°S–60°N band reached 20.86 °C, the highest ever measured for the month of June.

The scepticism that always accompanies a record

As every time a new climate milestone appears, doubts about the reliability of historical series and the influence of natural phenomena such as El Niño or the Hunga Tonga eruption come to the fore. Some point out that failed predictions of the past — such as the supposed tropical climate in Asturias or a three-metre rise in sea level — undermine the credibility of these bulletins. But today's data, with direct measurements, are hard to refute.

The economic debate: energy transition and costs

As thermometers soar, the debate on how to cut emissions gets tangled up in widely differing solutions. Some argue that the only way out lies in demographic decline and reforestation, while others bet on technology and the electric car as a lever to decouple GDP from emissions. The fact is that the global fertility rate keeps falling, and the population peak is estimated at around 10 billion. But in the meantime, the heat keeps breaking records and the energy bills — in air conditioning, insurance or agricultural losses — are already being felt in the real economy.

The second warmest June is no anecdote: it is a sign that the trend continues. Those hoping for a breather will have to wait another year.