From mountain tops to ocean depths, the summer of extremes continues. Heatwaves are baking large parts of the northern hemisphere, fuelling unprecedented wildfires and disrupting marine ecosystems. Floods have transformed desert landscapes. The high-impact weather in August follows the hottest ever month on record in July.
WMO-backed initiatives to improve weather forecasts and early warnings and strengthen the resilience of communities on the frontline of climate change have been bolstered by important new financial commitments during the UN climate change negotiations, COP27
It was one of the three warmest Julys on record, with prolonged and intense heatwaves affecting parts of Europe. Antarctic sea ice was the lowest for July on record, according to Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
For the first time, temperatures of 40°C have been forecast in the UK and the Met Office has issued the first ever Red warning for exceptional heat. In Portugal and Spain temperatures have reached highs up to around 46 degrees Celsius.
A global consortium of major space agencies is celebrating 50 years of collaboration in the provision of meteorological satellites vital for weather forecasts, life-saving early warning services and - increasingly - climate change monitoring and other application areas
