Numerous corporate media outlets drove the narrative that July 3-5 was the hottest 72-hour stretch ever on record, citing a computer model from the University of Maine which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned is not as dependable as traditional observational data.
The New York Times, Fortune, Axios and CBS News each cited the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer computer model in various Thursday reports asserting that this week’s global temperatures broke the previous record for hottest three-day stretch.
The coverage came as NOAA said Thursday that the model’s findings are not a suitable substitute for observational data, since the model depends in part on unverifiable, computer-generated outputs, according to The Associated Press.
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Axios’ Thursday headline asserted that “Earth sees three hottest days on record,” while The Times wrote in its Thursday story that “the past three days were quite likely the hottest in Earth’s modern history.” CBS News ran a chyron on a Thursday television segment which read, “Earth sees third straight hottest day on record,” while the first half of Fortune’s Thursday headline stated that “Earth hits record heat third day in a row.”
“Although NOAA cannot validate the methodology or conclusion of the University of Maine analysis, we recognize that we are in a warm period due to climate change,” NOAA said, according to the AP.
The Reanalyzer uses observational data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and then calculates various global temperature estimates based on that data using its model, according to the Reanalyzer’s website. The Reanalyzer’s model found that this week was the hottest week it has ever recorded.
NCEP is part of the National Weather Service, which is part of NOAA, according to the National Weather Service’s website.
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“The situation we are witnessing now is the demonstration that climate change is out of control,” United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said of the heat, according to The Guardian. “If we persist in delaying key measures that are needed, I think we are moving into a catastrophic situation, as the last two records in temperature demonstrates.”
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