The WMO said temperatures on both land and ocean are breaking records. (Representative)
Paris:
The beginning of July was the warmest week on record for the planet, according to early findings from the World Meteorological Organization on Monday, after a series of scorching days saw global temperature records plummet.
“The world had the warmest week on record, according to preliminary data,” the WMO said in a statement, “after climate change and the early stages of the El Niño weather pattern led to June becoming the warmest on record.”
This is the latest in a series of records that have already ravaged Spain for half a year and seen severe heat waves in China as well as the United States.
The WMO said temperatures are breaking records both on land and in the ocean, which is having “potentially devastating effects on ecosystems and the environment”.
“We are in uncharted territory and we can expect that as El Niño develops, we can expect more records to fall and these effects will extend through 2024,” said Christopher Hewitt, WMO’s director of climate services.
“This is worrying news for the planet.”
The WMO said it has looked at a variety of datasets from partners around the world.
Europe’s climate monitoring service Copernicus told AFP its data also showed last week was likely to be the warmest since records began in 1940.
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