The beginning of July was the hottest week on record for the planet, according to early findings Monday from the World Meteorological Organization, after a series of scorching days saw global temperature records tumble.
"The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data," the WMO said in a statement, after climate change and the early stages of the El Nino weather pattern drove the hottest June on record.
It's the latest in a series of records halfway through a year that has already seen a drought in Spain and fierce heat waves in China as well the United States.
Temperatures are breaking records both on land and in the oceans, with "potentially devastating impacts on ecosystems and the environment", the WMO said.
"We are in uncharted territory and we can expect more records to fall as El Nino develops further and these impacts will extend into 2024," said Christopher Hewitt, WMO Director of Climate Services.
"This is worrying news for the planet."
The WMO said it had looked at various 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 hottest since records began in 1940.
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