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On Tuesday, July 4th, the Earth reached its highest temperature ever measured.
The average global temperature on that day was 17.18 degrees Celsius (62.92 degrees Fahrenheit).
The following day, Wednesday, the record was tied with the same temperature. On Thursday, the record was broken again when the temperatures climbed to 17.23 degrees Celsius (63.01 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP).
Scientists explain that this extreme heat around the world is caused by a combination of El Niño and the release of greenhouse gasses. According to physicist Robert Rohde, temperatures might get hotter over the next six weeks.
Although we only have temperature records starting from 1979, experts believe that this week’s temperatures could be the highest ever recorded, going back even further in history, before 1979.
During this period of high temperatures, there was a heat wave in the southern United States. Other regions around the world, such as China and North Africa, are also experiencing intense heat waves.
June of this year was the hottest on record for air and sea surface temperatures. Climate scientist Brian Brettschneider, in Anchorage, Alaska, warns that July and August might be even hotter as El Niño continues to get stronger.
Heat is a significant cause of weather-related deaths worldwide. In the United States alone, over 600 people die from heat-related illnesses every year, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vocabulary
- Earth – the planet/world we live on 🌎
- Reach – hit; achieve; make it to; attain;
- Measure – to discover the exact size or amount of something; to learn or figure out the size or weight of something; calculate; quantify
- Average – The number found by dividing the sum of a set of numbers by how many numbers there are
- Global – related to the whole world; everywhere in the world
- The following day – the next day; the day after
- Record – the most or least ever; the highest level ever; achieved for the first time
- Tie – To have the same score or result as someone else;
- Break a record – better or more extreme than anything that has come before
- Climb – To go up; ascend, like climbing a mountain or stairs
- According to – as ‘someone’ said; as stated by ‘someone’; in the opinion of ‘someone’
- Scientist – a person who studies science or the natural world; researcher
- Extreme – serious or dangerous; “high”; most; greatest
- Combination – When two or more things are put together or mixed to create something new
- El Niño – A climate pattern that affects weather conditions in the Pacific Ocean and can cause changes in temperature and rainfall; A weather pattern that causes the ocean to warm up
- Release – To let go or set free; to let out into the world
- Greenhouse gas – gasses in Earth’s atmosphere (sky) that trap heat; gasses that are bad for the environment
- Physicist – A scientist who studies physics, which is the study of matter and energy
- Although – even though; despite the fact; however; but
- Record – information or a description of an event that is written on paper or stored on a computer; documentation; evidence
- Expert – a person with great knowledge and experience in a trade or profession
- Period – a length of time; or portion of time
- Heat wave – a period of very hot weather
- Region – a large area of the Earth; an area of land with similar qualities/characteristics
- Intense – Very strong or severe; powerful
- Surface – the top or outside layer of something; exterior; ground
- Climate – the weather conditions and weather patterns of a place over a long period of time
- Warn – to tell someone about something bad or dangerous that might happen; alert; notify
- Significant – something important or having a meaningful impact
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- How do you think the extreme heat is impacting people’s daily lives?
- Do you believe that climate change is contributing to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events?
- Are there any specific regions in your country or the world that are particularly vulnerable to heat waves?
- What can you do to stay safe during a heat wave?
- In your opinion, what can individuals do to reduce their carbon footprint and combat global warming?
Original Story
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