According to a recent flash study conducted by Climate Central, more than 2 billion people, or 81% of the world’s population, experienced the effects of climate change-induced warmth on a daily basis in July. The study analyzed data from 4,711 cities and found that climate change fingerprints were present in 4,019 of them during the hottest month ever recorded. The burning of coal, oil, and natural gas tripled the likelihood of higher temperatures in these cities. Florida in the United States was particularly affected, with over 244 million people experiencing heightened heat due to climate change.
For approximately 2 billion people located mostly in tropical areas, climate change made it three times more likely for July to be hotter every single day. Notable cities affected include Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The peak day for climate change impact was July 10, when 3.5 billion people were exposed to extreme heat with the fingerprints of global warming.
While the study is not yet peer-reviewed, it relied on established climate fingerprinting methods that are considered scientifically valid by the National Academy of Sciences. Several external climate scientists have deemed the study credible. Climate Central developed the Climate Shift Index tool over a year ago to measure the influence of climate change on global temperatures in real time using forecasts, observations, and computer simulations.
In the United States, 22 cities experienced at least 20 days where climate change tripled the likelihood of extra heat. Cities such as Miami, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa, Las Vegas, and Austin were among the most affected. Cape Coral, Florida, experienced the largest impact, with hotter temperatures being made 4.6 times more likely due to climate change, and 29 out of 31 days in July showing significant climate change fingerprints.
Overall, this study emphasizes the widespread impact of human-caused global warming, providing a taste of the effects of extreme heat to the majority of people on the planet.