Most of humanity just suffered through the hottest August on record
Last month was the hottest August on record in the northern hemisphere, where around 90 per cent of all people live.
Globally, August 2022 ranked among the top six hottest months of August in the past 143 years. However, the northern hemisphere broke records for extreme heat.
According to NASA, only August of 2016 was warmer, with last month coming in second by their account. The Japanese Meteorological Agency agreed, also ranking it as second warmest to 2016, and tied with both August 2019 and 2015. Meanwhile the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service placed it as third warmest, and NOAA's records show it was the sixth warmest.
This graph ranks global temperatures against the average monthly temperatures from 1980 to 2015, putting them into perspective for Earth’s seasonal cycles. According to NASA’s records, August 2022 ranked as the second hottest month of August, behind 2016. The inset (top right) zooms in on the peak of the graph to show the rankings in greater detail. (NASA GISS/Scott Sutherland)
When globally-averaged temperatures are plotted to take into account the seasonal cycles of the planet, like in the above graph from NASA, the pattern tracks along closely with the seasons of the northern hemisphere. This is because ocean water warms slower than land, and there is more landmass than ocean in the north, and more ocean than landmass in the south.
According to NOAA, while this has been one of the cooler winters for the southern hemisphere, ranking 11th warmest overall, the northern hemisphere saw extreme heat in August.
Based on their records, last month was tied with August 2020 as the hottest month of August seen in the northern hemisphere since 1880.
August 2022 global temperatures came in as nearly 1°C over the 20th century average, with much of that heat concentrated in the northern hemisphere. (NASA GISS)
Nearly nine out of every 10 people alive today live in the northern hemisphere, so the vast majority of humanity was impacted in some way by last month’s record heat.
How is 2022 shaping up?
With over half the year over now, thoughts turn to where 2022 is likely to end up on the list of hottest years on record.
Ranked against the top hottest years, NOAA scientists have tallied up all the temperatures over the past eight months, and 2022 — so far — is on track to be the sixth warmest year on record.
This graphic compares the year-to-date temperature anomalies for 2022 (black line) to what were ultimately the 10 warmest years on record: 2016 (first), 2020 (second), 2019 (third), 2015 (fourth), 2017 (fifth), 2021 (sixth), 2018 (seventh), 2014 (eighth), 2010 (ninth), 2013 (10th), and 2005 (10th). Each month along each trace represents the year-to-date average temperature anomaly. In other words, the January value is the January average temperature anomaly, the February value is the average anomaly of both January and February, and so on. (NOAA)
With four months to go before the end of the year, that could change. However, with a third dip into La Niña conditions expected for this coming winter, it will continue to have a cooling influence on global temperatures. NOAA gives an over 80 per cent chance of 2022 ending up as sixth warmest year, overall.
