The WMO confirms the European temperature record

Validating records, even in the field of meteorology, is not an easy task. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has confirmed the temperature record of 48.8 degrees Celsius reached on August 11, 2021 in Sicily, at the end of a long protocol that involved the examination of data and measuring instruments used, in order to ensure scientific validity. "An international panel of scientists specializing in the atmosphere verified the temperature recorded by an automated weather station in Syracuse, a city on the Italian island of Sicily," the WMO stated in a statement. The previous record was 48.0 degrees Celsius and was recorded in Greece on July 10, 1977, in Athens and Eleusis. This record, although recognized by the WMO, was not independently verified by the organization, unlike the new record in Italy. The WMO carefully checks the data, as well as the instruments and conditions in which it was recorded, before confirming a record, which explains the fact that the new record was validated only after two and a half years. "Such a thorough assessment gives us the certainty that our global temperature records are being measured correctly," explained American geographer Randall Cerveny, WMO's rapporteur for climate and weather extremes. "In addition, this analysis demonstrates the alarming trend of continuation of high temperature records in certain regions of the world", he emphasized. The results of the investigation led by the team of scientists were published in the scientific journal International Journal of Climatology. The potential records presented at the WMO are "snapshots of our current climate and it is possible, rather likely, that even worse extremes will occur in Europe in the future", Professor Cerveny added. The WMO Expert Committee is also conducting other investigations, such as one to determine whether Tropical Cyclone Freddy broke the record for the longest-lasting tropical cyclone.