August was the hottest month ever recorded worldwide, according to the European Copernicus climate monitor, which also reported that ocean temperatures reached unprecedented levels. The Copernicus Climate Change Service made the announcement on Thursday.
The United Nations warned that the planet will continue on its trajectory toward unprecedented levels until humanity abandons fossil fuels, in response to the Copernicus assessment.
Copernicus observations date back to 1940, but other scientific evidence, such as ice cores, tree rings, and coral skeletons, allows scientists to view current climate within its broader historical context.
Samantha Burgess, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, stated that humans have likely not seen temperatures this high in at least the last 100,000 years.
