COLUMBUS, Ohio — We've already had a good number of hot days this summer in Central Ohio, but this past week the world was setting new heat records.
Things were near to below normal here in central Ohio on Monday, but when you factor in all the weather around the globe, we set a record for the hottest day on record according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Their data goes all the way back to 1940, and the new record for daily average temperature stands at 17.16°C, or 62.9°F.
Keep in mind this is the average temperature for the day, not the peak high during the afternoon. A map showing all temperature anomalies for the date can be seen below.
Following these records, the weather pattern here in central Ohio is about to swing back toward hotter than average as well, and there are signs that climate change is making these trends more common. The graph below shows the forecast for the coming six days and how that compares to the average for this time of the year.
This forecast is as of Thursday, July 25, 2024.
According to the Climate Shift Index, a product created by Climate Central, data shows that the peak of this forecast, Sunday afternoon, and the temperature that come with it, are growing more likely thanks to climate change. The Climate Shift Index score places this type of heat as being about 1.5 times more likely thanks to changing climate conditions.
The historical record backs up this conclusion as well. When looking at high temperatures going back to the 1970s, we are seeing a marked increase in days with a high equal to or over 87. This number was selected as 95% of high-temperature days fall below 87.
Since 1970, the average number of these hot days per year has increased by 21 on average. Last year, we only saw 33 days meet this threshold, but this year we've already hit 31 with plenty of summer left to go.
With these patterns in mind, it seems likely that more hot days and potential heat impacts are in our future. Keep an eye on the 10TV Weather Impact Forecast as we keep you prepared for what's coming next.