June Was the Hottest Month on Record in Europe

The planet is heating at a rapid rate, with June coming in as the hottest month ever across the globe. 

Based on data released by Copernicus Climate Change Service, the average temperature in Europe for June was higher than any other June on record. Average temperatures were greater than 2°C above normal compared with this past June. Europe suffered through a heat wave in June that while not as long as previous ones recorded last summer, was extremely intense. 

RELATED: EXISTING CARBON EMITTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO PUSH PLANT TO 1.5˚C

There were five days of above average temperatures. That was followed by record-breaking heat in the eastern part of Europe. As result, June was 1°C above the past record for June set in 1999. It's also higher based on the trends seen during the past decades.

The group said its hard to tie the severe heat to climate change but did warn that extreme weather events will become more common as the planet continues to get warmer thanks to greenhouse gases.  Comparing the data to long term trends reveals that in Europe June of 2019 was more than 3°C higher than the average from 1850 to 1900. 

Heatwave in Europe was Extreme 

The heatwave that plagued Europe last week got so extreme that temperatures were reportedly as much as 10°C higher than typically seen in June in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

Copernicus Climate Change Service isn't the only group sounding the alarm about the warming of the planet. This week researchers found that the existing carbon dioxide emitting infrastructure is poised to heat up the earth to 1.5˚C. If new facilities are added to the mix, it will push the planet above 2˚C. 

If the world continues on its current path, meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement may be hard to obtain. That agreement, which President Donald Trump backed out of, calls for actions to keep the planet under 2˚C by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The accord was signed by 195 countries including the U.S. when President Barack Obama was President. President Trump argued the agreement puts the U.S. economy at risk when backing out of it. He has since signed executive orders aimed at speeding up the development of natural gas pipelines. While cleaner than coal, natural gas still gives off greenhouse gases.