August was the hottest month ever recorded globally, climate monitor says
Europe's climate monitoring service says last month was the hottest August on record worldwide, warning that an intensifying El Nino could push temperatures even higher. The record caps an extreme summer of heatwaves and wildfires.
Europe's climate change monitoring service announced on Thursday that August was the hottest month ever recorded globally, based on combined land and sea temperature data. The announcement confirms that global heat reached unprecedented levels last month.
According to the monitor, the August record capped off an extreme summer marked by widespread heatwaves and wildfires. The season as a whole was ranked the hottest ever recorded for both western Europe and the contiguous United States.
Driven by a powerful El Nino
Scientists point to an unusually strong and still-strengthening El Nino pattern as a key driver behind the surging temperatures. El Nino is a natural climate cycle linked to the warming of surface waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, which typically pushes global temperatures higher.
The climate monitor warned that as this El Nino pattern continues to intensify, further temperature records could be broken in the coming months. Officials cautioned that the trend raises concerns over the ongoing impact on ecosystems, agriculture and public health worldwide.
