The planet is experiencing significant warming due to greenhouse gas emissions, with heat records continuing to be broken (or rather, melted). The month of June, which is set to conclude early next week, is the hottest June on record since measurements began in the country.
Anything to cool down
(Video: Avihu Shapira)
According to the Meteorological Service, this June will end up being more than 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the multi-year average for this month (1991-2020). It is also significantly hotter than the previous hottest Junes, being 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than June 2016, which held the previous record, and 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than June 2012.
The Meteorological Service further reported that the first half of the month was characterized by several intense heatwaves, during which a new record for June was set in Gilgal in the Jordan Valley at 118.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The second half of the month was more stable without extreme heatwaves, yet temperatures remained above the seasonal norm.
Additionally, the Mediterranean Sea temperatures this month were above the seasonal average, recorded at 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit compared to an average of 78.8-80.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the current June exceptionally hot, surpassing temperatures of many peak summer months. The Meteorological Service noted that out of all summer months (June - September) in the last 75 years, only six months were as hot or hotter, all occurring in the last decade.
Globally, the year 2023 was the hottest year on record since measurements began. In recent months, heat records have been broken almost monthly, indicating 2024 could potentially become the hottest year in history.