
Last week was the hottest ever recorded across the world — and an oncoming El Niño is likely to keep upward pressure on global temperatures, the World Meteorological Organization said Monday.
Global average surface temperatures were not the only records broken last week, the United Nations’ weather and climate agency said, citing preliminary data. It noted sea surface temperatures also hit “unprecedented” highs and that Antarctic sea ice coverage is at a record low.
The WMO said climate change and the developing El Niño are expected to push land and ocean temperatures higher. But that El Niño system has yet to take full effect, meaning temperature records are likely to be reached again later this year.