Earth’s hottest recorded year was 2023, at 2.12°F above the 20th-century average. This surpassed the previous record set in 2016. So far, the 10 hottest yearly average temperatures have occurred in the past decade. And, with the hottest summer and hottest single day, 2024 is on track to set yet another record.
Unexplained heat-wave ‘hotspots’ are popping up across the globe
