A European Union Council report has confirmed the last three months were the world’s hottest period on record.
The report, conducted by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said the June-August period was the warmest “by a large margin”.
It also said Antarctic sea ice hit its lowest level, after a historic melting event.
How scientists confirmed the world’s hottest period
The report used billions of measurements collected by satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations around the world to find the average global temperature for the quarter. It was 16.77°C, which is 0.66°C above average.
The findings place August temperatures about 1.5°C higher than temperatures from around 100 years ago.
El Niño
The record temperatures occurred during heatwaves and fires across large parts of Europe, Asia, and North and South America, where hot and dry El Niño weather patterns have emerged.
The Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation, Professor Petteri Taalas, said El Niño conditions would likely intensify further over the next year.
