Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires have hit Asia, Africa, Europe and North America over the past three months, taking a heavy toll on economies, ecosystems and human health.
The average global temperature in June, July and August was 16.77 degrees Celsius, far exceeding the previous record of 16.48 degrees Celsius in 2019, according to a newly released report by the European Union's (EU) Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
"The three months we've just had have been the hottest in about 120,000 years, which is in human history," C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess told AFP.
Last month was the hottest August on record, with average temperatures higher than all other months except July 2023.
Wildfire in California (USA) in June
"Climate breakdown has already begun... The climate is deteriorating faster than we can cope," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the same day.
Also on September 6, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that more frequent and intense heat waves are exacerbating air pollution, reducing human life expectancy and harming other life forms.
“Heatwaves degrade air quality, directly affecting human health, ecosystems, agriculture and indeed our daily lives,” WMO Director-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement.
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Record high global sea surface temperatures were a major contributor to heatwaves throughout the summer, with heatwaves hitting the North Atlantic and Mediterranean.
“If you look at the extra heat on the ocean surface, it’s likely that 2023 will be the hottest year on record,” said Burgess of C3S. If the Northern Hemisphere had a “normal” winter, she said, “we could almost say that 2023 would be the hottest year humanity has ever experienced.”
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