Last week was the hottest in the world, such heat seen after 1940

The summer of 2023 continues to break records as the hottest. This week the world’s average temperature has broken several records in a row. The first week of July was the hottest week on record for Earth. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, the global temperature record plunge was followed by scorching days. “According to preliminary data, the first of July was the warmest week on record globally,” WMO said in a statement.

There has already been a drought in Spain for half the year. Extreme heat waves have been observed in China as well as in the United States. The WMO said temperatures are breaking records both on land and in the ocean. It is having “potentially devastating effects on ecosystems and the environment” also.

“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.