Hottest July fuels food security concerns

The world has yet another addition to the hottest month streak as last month sets a new record for the highest average global surface temperature ever witnessed in an analysis done for the last 175 years.

The analysis conducted by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows that the world’s surface temperature witnessed in July was hotter by 0.03 degrees Celsius compared to last year July which was the hottest ever record in years.

The NOAA analysis shows that the global surface temperature for this July alone was 1.2 degrees Celsius above the 20th Century’s temperature recording.

Zooming in to a specific date, July 22 was the hottest day yet this year.

The month of July, in the history of our climate, typically records higher than usual temperature compared to other months. Data from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) shows that the past 10 Julys have been the warmest on record.

It also adds to a 14-month streak for the longest warming record, beating a previous year-long record that was set between May 2015 and May 2016. Before then, a record of warmest months consecutively had been set in the 1980s.

“Widespread, intense and extended heat waves have hit every continent in the past year. At least ten countries have recorded daily temperatures of more than 50 degrees Celsius in more than one location. This is becoming too hot to handle,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“Even the remote frozen ice sheets of Antarctica have been feeling the heat,” she added

The current analysis by WMO sources data from different global institutions whose findings show that most parts of Africa, Asia and Europe recorded the warmest on record for the first time, and North America had the second-warmest July.

Most places in the world had above average surface temperature except Alaska, southern South America, eastern Russia, Australia and western Antarctica.

In Africa, Morocco experienced two successive hottest days, which bore heat waves with their capital city Marrakech recording the highest temperature of about 47.6 degrees Celsius.

“This followed an unusually cool start to the month. The sudden contrast between cool temperatures and extreme heat intensified the heat stress on residents,” explains the WMO in an update.

The WMO said that the new analysis is a clear warning on how greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane from human activities are changing our climate.

Some of the hottest places on earth like Death Valley in California registered a record average monthly temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius possibly a new record observed for anywhere in the world,” said WMO secretary General Celeste

The Global Annual Temperature Rankings Outlook data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) shows that there is a 77 per cent likelihood that this year, just like 2023, will be the hottest one ever.

A forecast released by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) shows that some part of East Africa during the October to December rainfall season will experience below normal rainfall.

On the contrary, the western parts of the region, including south-eastern South Sudan, northern Uganda, western and north-western Kenya, northern Tanzania, southern Burundi, and parts of western Rwanda are likely to experience above-normal rainfall. This will in turn support agricultural productivity, pasture generation, and water resources availability.

A new report on the Long Rains Food and Nutrition Security Assessment in the country shows that the food insecure population in the country has reduced to one (1) million in July 2024 from two (2) million in February 2024 as a result of above-average rainfall that enhanced crop and livestock production.

The flooding experienced earlier this year however affected some areas such as agriculture, infrastructure and livestock, resulting in losses.

“Malnutrition remains prevalent in arid counties due to factors such as poor childcare practices, high maternal workload, sub-optimal coverage of essential health and nutrition services, stock out of commodities for management of acute malnutrition, inadequate water sanitation and hygiene, high burden of disease, and the cumulative negative effects of previous failed seasons,” shows the report.

In the upcoming October to January 2025 period, the report shows that there will be a decline in forage and water for livestock in the pastoral communities who depend on it as their source of livelihood.

“Acute malnutrition across the pastoral areas is expected to deteriorate further during the projection period, with some areas deteriorating but remaining within the same phase due to declining food security and other contributing factors,” the report reads in part.

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