Global heat stuck on high. Scientists say August was Earth's hottest month they've measured.

Earth experienced its hottest month on record in August, surpassing a critical climate benchmark, according to the European climate service Copernicus. The heatwave was primarily driven by the combined impact of human-induced climate change and a powerful El Nino event. August's temperature was an average of 62.53 degrees Fahrenheit (16.96 degrees Celsius), just one-hundredth of a degree Celsius higher than the previous record set in July 2023.

However, due to the uncertainty level, this new record is considered a tie. Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead for Copernicus, stated that it is now time for the world to stop being surprised that the warming planet continues to heat up, as this trend has been predicted by scientists for decades. Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University, emphasized that the real concern is not whether we will keep breaking heat records, but rather whether we will take action to address the issue.