Monday breaks record for hottest day ever recorded

Monday set a new global temperature record, surpassing the previous day’s high, as extreme heat continues to affect countries worldwide, according to European climate data.

Sibi Arasu and Seth Borenstein report for The Associated Press.

In short:

• Monday’s global average temperature was 17.15 degrees Celsius, beating Sunday’s record by 0.06 degrees.
• Climate scientists attribute the heat to human-caused climate change, with temperatures now matching levels from 125,000 years ago.
• The recent heatwave was intensified by an unusually warm Antarctic winter.

Key quote:

“We are in an age where weather and climate records are frequently stretched beyond our tolerance levels, resulting in insurmountable loss of lives and livelihoods.”

— Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology

Why this matters:

Rising global temperatures threaten ecosystems, human health and economies. Without immediate changes in energy policies, extreme weather events will become more frequent and severe.