Highlights:

• Temperatures were above average over much of the globe with Africa, Europe and Asia having their warmest July on record. 
• Sea surface temperatures were second-warmest on record, ending a streak of 15 consecutive record-setting months.
• Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent and global sea ice extent were both below average, with Antarctic ice coverage ranking second smallest. 
• Global tropical cyclone activity was below average with seven named storms, including two in the Atlantic Basin. 

Temperature

The July global surface temperature was 2.18°F (1.21°C) above the 20th-century average of 60.4°F (15.8°C), making it the warmest July on record. This marks the 14th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures, which itself is a record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is a 77% chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record and almost a 100% chance that it will rank in the top five.

July temperatures were above average across much of the global land surface except for Alaska, southern South America, eastern Russia, Australia, and western Antarctica. Africa, Europe and Asia had their warmest July on record while North America had its second warmest. Almost 14% of the world’s surface had a record-high July temperature, exceeding the previous July record set in 2023 by more than 5%. Sea surface temperatures were above average over most areas, while parts of the tropical eastern Pacific and southeastern Pacific were below average. The global ocean was second warmest on record, ending a streak of 15 consecutive months of record highs that commenced in April 2023.

Climatologically, July is the warmest month of the year. As the warmest July on record, July 2024 was more likely than not the warmest month on record for the globe since 1850.

The year-to-date (January–July) global surface temperature was 2.30°F (1.28°C) above the 20th-century average, making it the warmest such period on record. South America, Europe and Africa each had their warmest year-to-date period. 

Snow Cover

The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent in July was the 11th smallest on record. Snow cover in both Eurasia and North America was below average (by 110,000 and 60,000 square miles, respectively). In general, snow cover was below average across western Canada, southern Alaska and much of the Canadian Archipelago.

Sea Ice

Global sea ice extent was the second smallest in the 46-year record at 8.49 million square miles, which was 1.09 million square miles below the 1991–2020 average. Arctic sea ice extent was below average (by 330,000 square miles), and Antarctic sea ice extent was also below average (by 760,000 square miles), ranking second lowest on record.

Tropical Cyclones

Seven named storms occurred across the globe in July, which was below the 1991–2020 average. The Atlantic basin saw two tropical cyclones during July: Beryl, which was the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, and Tropical Storm Chris, which made landfall in Mexico. The East Pacific saw three tropical cyclones in July, while the West Pacific saw two. Both Pacific basins have experienced well-below-normal activity through July.

For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our July 2024 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.