July 2019 shatters earth's record for hottest ever month since records began
Meteorologists have said July was the hottest month measured on Earth since records began in 1880.
Several European countries - including Britain, France, Belgium and Germany - saw previous national temperature records smashed during a continent-wide heatwave last month.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say that July was 0.95C (1.71F) warmer than the 20th century average for the month.
But experts believe the periods of extreme heat are likely to continue because of man-made climate change.
Last month narrowly topped the previous July record, set in 2016, by 0.03C (0.05F).
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According to NOAA, nine of the 10 hottest Julys on record have occurred since 2005. Last month was the 43rd consecutive July above the 20th century average.
Record temperatures have gone hand-in-hand with other climate extremes.
Warming oceans have led to an early melt of sea ice in the Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska, said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Dr Mark McCarthy, from the Met Office National Climate Information Centre said: “The UK climate has been warming since the mid 20th Century, and this has been accompanied by similar increase in the hottest day of the year, which for the most recent decade has been 0.8C higher when compared with the period 1961-1990.
“Climate change has increased the likelihood and severity of heatwave episodes across Europe, which will have also increased the risks of a 40C temperature event in the UK.”
Earlier in August, a report from the World Weather Attribution stated there is "extremely little chance" of temperatures reaching record breaking highs if humans had not made an impact on climate.
June of this year had already set a sizzling record for the month, the highest for the past 140 years.