Record-Breaking Summer Heatwave Levels Recorded in History
The summer of 2024 has been recorded as the hottest since measurements began in 1901, with an average temperature of 2.7 degrees Celsius above the average for the years 1991-2020, according to a recent analysis by HungaroMet Zrt.
The Hungarian meteorological service examined the data of its measurements and found that the average summer temperature nationwide was 23.5 degrees Celsius, which is 2.7 degrees higher than the average of 20.8 degrees Celsius for the years 1991-2020. This average temperature was 0.76 degrees above the warmest summer on record in 2022.
All three months of June, July, and August were warmer than average, with June 1.8 degrees, July 3.0 degrees, and August 3.4 degrees above the average for 1991-2020. July was the hottest month since the beginning of the 20th century, while June and August were ranked as the fifth and second warmest, respectively.
July and August had an equal mean temperature of 24.53 degrees Celsius, which was only topped by August of 1992, the hottest August since 1901 at 24.54 degrees Celsius.
The average summer temperature in most parts of the country ranged between 23 and 25 degrees Celsius on the plains, exceeding 25 degrees Celsius in some areas of the southern lowlands, while temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius were only observed in the higher mountains of the north-central highlands.
Regarding rainfall, the season’s total was 130.1 millimeters on average across the country, which is only 64 percent of the average of 203.1 millimeters for the years 1991-2020. July and August were the seventh and ninth driest months, respectively, since the start of the 20th century.
In terms of records, the lowest temperature of the summer in 2024 was recorded at 5.7 degrees Celsius in Zabar on June 15, before the first heatwave arrived in late June. The highest daytime temperature reached 41.6 degrees Celsius in Kelebia on July 16.
An additional analysis by HungaroMet revealed that both globally and in Europe, the highest average temperatures on record were registered in the summer of 2024. This year’s average summer temperature was 0.69 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 norm, surpassing the previous record set in the summer of 2023.
It is important to note that cutting-edge innovation is being utilized to reduce urban heat with space technology, as the urban heat island effect is linked to the size and population density of cities.
In conclusion, the summer of 2024 has proven to be a significant outlier in terms of temperature and rainfall patterns, setting new records both nationally and globally for high average temperatures.
