The summer of 2023 was officially confirmed the hottest one on record. According to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization and the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service, this past June, July, and August were the hottest consecutive 3-month period the planet has ever had. August alone broke records — not only was it the hottest August ever recorded, it was also the second hottest month since record-keeping began. July 2023 was the hottest. ‘The northern hemisphere just had a summer of extremes — with repeated heatwaves fueling devastating wildfires, harming health, disrupting daily lives and wreaking a lasting toll on the environment,’ said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas in a statement. ‘In the southern hemisphere Antarctic sea ice extent was literally off the charts, and the global sea surface temperature was once again at a new record. It is worth noting that this is happening BEFORE we see the full warming impact of the El Niño event, which typically plays out in the second year after it develops.’