July 2023 was the warmest month on record for most of the Maritimes

July 2023 broke records for warmest of any month in many locations

Ryan Snoddon · CBC News · Posted: Aug 03, 2023 6:00 AM ADT | Last Updated: August 3

Many locations in the Maritimes recorded their warmest calendar month on record. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)

The preliminary numbers are in and, not surprisingly, July 2023 will go down as the warmest of any month on record for many locations in the Maritimes.

The days in July were hot and, importantly, the nights were also warm across the region.

A relentless southerly wind throughout the month kept the humidity high across the region, leading to increasingly warm, and above average, sea surface temperatures.

That combination helped most locations record average monthly lows in the 16 to 18 C range in July. And many locations — including Charlottetown, Moncton, Saint John and Halifax — recorded their warmest calendar month on record.

A closer look at the numbers in the Halifax region show that summers are getting warmer with climate change.

Now six of the top-10 warmest months on record have occurred since 2012. Data has been kept since 1871. 

Also warmest month for the globe

Last month is also the hottest month on record for the world, based on preliminary data.

The average temperature for the globe in July is forecast to be about 1.5 C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level — before the planet was warmed by burning coal, oil and gas and other human activities.

Expect to hear more about the global July records over the next few days as the numbers are crunched and the official data is released.