2024: A Record-Breaking Year for Heat, and It’s Time to Pay Attention

2024: A Record-Breaking Year for Heat, and It’s Time to Pay Attention If you thought 2024 was unusually hot, you were not wrong. Last year surpassed records, with global temperatures averaging 2.32°F higher than the 20th-century norm. In fact, all of the ten hottest years on record have happened in the past decade! The 15 straight months of broken temperature records are also notable.

The Heat Hits Close to Home Zooming in on Philadelphia, the city tied with 2012 for its hottest year ever. But Philadelphia wasn’t alone in this record-breaking heat wave, many East Coast cities hit their all-time high temperatures or matched them. It’s clear that the climate crisis isn't something that can be pushed to the side. It's happening now, and it’s time for everyone, politicians, where we are seeing steps taken in the wrong direction, big corporations, and everyday people to take this more seriously.

Spring Started Strong, But Summer? Not So Much. Philadelphia had a hopeful start with cooler spring temperatures, but the scorching summer quickly tipped the scales, pushing average temperatures way up. The only reason we’re not seeing an even hotter year is that this winter has been pretty cold which pushed down the average temperature in the final months of 2024. The long-term warming trend is undeniable, and the pressure to take action has never been greater. The signs are clear and it is time to take action to prevent 2025 from being another record breaking year.

What's Happening in Philadelphia? Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability has been implementing various initiatives to address the climate crisis. Their efforts focus on climate resilience, with programs designed to protect communities from flooding; energy and climate solutions, aimed at transitioning Philadelphia to clean energy; environmental justice, ensuring equitable protection from environmental hazards; and policy initiatives, which seek to maximize resources for the city. With these efforts, the city of Philadelphia hopes to begin seeing positive change

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