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World Breaks Hottest Day Record for 2nd Day in a Row

A Cuban fisherman rests in a makeshift raft at sunset in Havana Bay on July 19, 2024. (Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP)
A Cuban fisherman rests in a makeshift raft at sunset in Havana Bay on July 19, 2024. (Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP)
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World Breaks Hottest Day Record for 2nd Day in a Row

A Cuban fisherman rests in a makeshift raft at sunset in Havana Bay on July 19, 2024. (Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP)
A Cuban fisherman rests in a makeshift raft at sunset in Havana Bay on July 19, 2024. (Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP)

The world again registered its hottest day on record on Monday, July 22, inching past Sunday which had just taken the title, according to preliminary data from a European Union monitoring agency.
As heatwaves sizzled around the world and wildfires engulfed parts of the Mediterranean, Russia and Canada, the global average surface air temperature rose to 17.15 degrees Celsius (62.87 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday. That was 0.06 C (0.11 F) higher than Sunday's record according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, which has tracked such data since 1940.
This includes temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere which is currently in winter, bringing down the worldwide average.
Scientists said it was possible that Tuesday or Wednesday of this week could again surpass Monday's record, as temperature peaks generally happen in clusters, Reuters reported.
The last record hot day was in July 2023, when the daily peak was broken across four consecutive days from July 3 through 6. Before that, it was set in August 2016.
What makes this year's record unusual is that unlike in 2023 and 2016, the world in April moved out of the El Nino climate pattern which generally amplifies global temperatures owing to warmer-than-usual waters in the Eastern Pacific.
Karsten Haustein, a climate scientist at Leipzig University in Germany, said it was remarkable that the record had been breached again now with the world well into the "neutral" phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation.
This points to the greater-than-ever influence of climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, in boosting global temperatures.
"This past Monday might have set a new global record for warmest absolute global average temperature ever - by that I mean going back tens of thousands of years," Haustein said.

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Stray Dogs in Giza become Tourist Draw after 'Pyramid Puppy' Sensation

A pack of about eight dogs has made its home among the ancient ruins of the Giza Pyramids - AFP
A pack of about eight dogs has made its home among the ancient ruins of the Giza Pyramids - AFP
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Stray Dogs in Giza become Tourist Draw after 'Pyramid Puppy' Sensation

A pack of about eight dogs has made its home among the ancient ruins of the Giza Pyramids - AFP
A pack of about eight dogs has made its home among the ancient ruins of the Giza Pyramids - AFP

Beneath the blazing Egyptian sun, crowds at the Giza Pyramids gazed up at the ancient wonders, but some had their eyes peeled for a new attraction.

"There he is," one Polish tourist told his wife as they spotted a scrappy dog perched on one of the stones.

They were talking about Apollo, a stray who became an overnight sensation last month after being filmed scaling the Great Pyramid of Khafre, one of the seven wonders of the world.
The viral footage, captured by American paragliding enthusiast Alex Lang and shared online by his friend Marshall Mosher, showed Apollo fearlessly climbing the 136-metre monument, barking at birds from the summit.
"He was acting like a king," Lang told AFP.

As news of Apollo's daring climb spread worldwide, interest grew in the dogs who have long made their homes among the ancient stones.

"He is climbing over there," said Arkadiusz Jurys, a tourist from Poland, craning his neck for a better view.

"It is unusual," he added, describing Apollo as surveying the picture-snapping crowd from above.

Another visitor, Diego Vega from Argentina, felt a special bond with the dogs.

"Connecting with them feels like connecting with the pharaohs," he said, while petting a member of Apollo's pack.

- Sales up -

Apollo's newfound fame has even inspired local guides to include him and his pack in their stories for tourists.

"This is Anubis," one tour guide told two American tourists, comparing Apollo, now known as the "pyramid puppy", with the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, often depicted as a man with a jackal's head.

"He and his pack are now part of our tour conversations," said Sobhi Fakhry, another tour guide.

Businesses around the Giza plateau are also seeing a boost.

Umm Basma, a 43-year-old woman selling souvenirs near the Khafre pyramid, reported an increase in sales thanks to the influx of tourists eager to meet the so-called pyramid dogs.

"We've always seen these dogs climbing the pyramids, but we never thought they would become a blessing for us," she said.

One pyramid guard, who preferred to remain anonymous, also said that some celebrities had paid for permits to have their own dogs photographed with Apollo.

Apollo, a three-year-old Baladi dog, is part of a pack of about eight that has made their home among the ancient ruins.

The dogs, a local breed, are known for their resilience, intelligence and ability to survive in Egypt's harsh climate.

Ibrahim el-Bendary, co-founder of the American Cairo Animal Rescue Foundation, which monitors the pyramid dogs, described Apollo as the pack's "alpha male".

"He is the bravest and strongest in his pack," he said.

Apollo was born in a rocky crevice within the Khafre pyramid where his mother, Laika, found shelter. Sadly, some of Apollo's siblings did not survive the site's perilous heights.

A sympathetic guard eventually relocated Laika to a safer spot where Apollo now stands out with his distinctive curled tail and confident nature.

- Dog adoptions -

The initial focus of Lang and Marshall was the daring canine climber, but their visit led to a deeper connection with Cairo's stray dogs.

Intrigued by the challenges they face, Mosher decided to adopt a puppy from the pack: Anubi, who is Apollo's daughter.

Anubi will join Marshall in the US after she receives the dedicated care she needs in Egypt to grow up healthy.

At the pyramids, local animal care groups are now working with the government in order to set up food and water stations for the strays, as well as for other animals including camels and horses.

A permanent veterinary center will be established at the pyramids with staff set to receive animal care training, said Egypt's tourism minister.

Vicki Michelle Brown, the other co-founder of the American Cairo Animal Rescue Foundation, believes that Apollo's story can make a difference.

"It sheds so much light on the dogs and cats that are here," Brown said.

"I definitely believe him (Apollo) climbing the pyramids can help all of the dogs in Egypt to have a better life."