It’s official. Sydney just had its hottest ever July on record – and if this isn’t a wake-up call when it comes to climate action, we don’t know what is.
In tune with the rest of the world (who also just experienced the hottest ever month as well as July on record), Sydney has now surpassed the previous record set in 2018.
To put it into perspective – this is the hottest July Sydney has had in about 120,000 years.
On Monday, July 31, meteorologists recorded a maximum of 23.5 degrees celsius at Observatory Hill in the CBD. This final recording for July elevated the city’s maximum temperature to above the average minimum temp of 19.89 degrees Celsius that was set in 2018.
With Penrith and Bankstown hitting a hefty 26 degrees at 2.30pm on Sunday, July 30, and Sydney city clocking in at 25.2 degrees celsius, the unseasonably warm weather is forecast to persist until Wednesday, August 3.
Why is it so hot in Sydney?
To put it simply folks, this is climate change in action. With the world officially now in a phase of ‘global boiling’, ocean temperatures across the planet have begun to warm drastically. Warm ocean conditions around Sydney and off the Queensland coast are creating the winter heat we are experiencing in Sydney right now.
What can we do about it?
If you’re sick of scary climate news, you’re not alone. It is imperative that we do not give up – there is still hope. Governments and big corporations are the ones who have the real power here – but at some point, they have to listen to us. Rally your local MPs and ask them what they’re doing to stop climate change in parliament. That includes: endorsing new mines, new deforestation projects and supporting new investment in fossil fuels.
On an individual level in Sydney, you can recycle, compost and try and live as greenly as you possibly can. And here are three significant actions you can take during your lunchbreak to help.