July 2023 was the warmest month on record in the last four decades, the Cyprus Institute notes in a press release.

It says that according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, this summer was by far the hottest on record globally, with an average temperature of 16.77°C, or 0.66°C above average.

A similar phenomenon but to a greater extent, was recorded in Cyprus, it says. 

The Institute explains that according to researchers from the Department of Environmental Predictions of the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center of Excellence of the Cyprus Institute, in July the average temperature at the Athalassa weather station (in Nicosia) was 40.0°C, making the month the warmest on record in the last four decades. In addition, in July the most consecutive high temperatures, were recorded, which lasted 16 days.

It notes that during 2020 at the Athalassa station a total of 48 days were recorded with a maximum temperature greater than 40.0°C, of which 30 occurred during the summer and the rest in other months as follows: six in May, nine in September and one in October.

Moreover, in the summer of 2023 the Athalassa station measured consecutive days with very high temperatures every day between July 13 and 29 during which the maximum temperature exceeded 40.0°C.

This extreme heat duration is unprecedented in the past 41 years based on data at the Athalassa station, it says, adding that the previous record was set in July 1987 and 2000, when there were ten consecutive days with a maximum temperature exceeding 40.0°C.