With more and more greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere and the world getting hotter, many heat records have already been broken this year.
In many places, the hottest temperatures since records began have occurred in the last 10 to 15 years — the clearest sign yet that humans are changing the climate, says Randall Cerveny, a professor at Arizona State University.
Cerveny said 2024 will be much warmer than normal in India, the Middle East and the southwestern United States.
Las Vegas recorded a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.0 degrees Celsius) for the first time on Sunday.
“It feels like there’s a hot blanket in the air,” Cerveny said of the heat, adding that the heat is life-threatening and people are not prepared for it.
Let’s take a look at some of the records that have been broken around the world this year: Even beating the previous record by even a tenth of a degree is a big jump, but all of these records have been surpassed by at least seven times that amount.
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
2024 Record: 120.02 F (48.9 C)
Previous record: 117 F (47.2 C) recorded in 2017
Morrisville, North Carolina, United States
2024 Record: 105.98 F (41.1 C)
Previous record: 105.08 F (40.6 C) recorded in 2012
Agnes, Oregon, United States
2024 Record: 114.98 F (46.1 C)
Previous record: 111.92 F (44.4 C) recorded in 1998
Palmdale, California, United States
2024 Record: 114.98 F (46.1 C)
The previous record was 113 degrees (45 degrees) recorded in 2007.
Redding California, United States
2024 Record: 118.94 F (48.3 C)
Previous record: 118.04 F (47.8 C) recorded in 1988
Last Rumpus, California, United States
2024 Record: 107.96 F (42.2 C)
Previous record: 105.98 (41.1 C) recorded in 2021
Aswan, Egypt
2024 Record: 121.28 F (49.6 C)
Previous record: 120.02 (48.9 C) in 1961
Geraldton, Australia
2024 Record: 120.74 F (49.3 C)
Previous record: 117.86 F (47.7 C) recorded in 1954
Progreso, Mexico
2024 Record: 111.56 F (44.2 C)
Previous record: 108.50 (42.5°C) recorded in 2023
Gaya, India
2024 Record: 117.32 F (47.4 C)
Previous record: 116.60 F (47 C) recorded in 1978
Sikasso, Mali
2024 Record: 116.24 F (46.8 C)
Previous record: 108.50 F (42.5 C) recorded in 2020
Vinh, Vietnam
2024 Record: 109.22 F (42.9 C)
Previous record: 105.8 F (41 C) recorded in 2019
Mom, Russia
2024 Record: 101.12 F (38.4 C)
Previous record: 99.86 F (37.7 C) recorded in 2017
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