The world just had the hottest August ever

Earth just had the hottest August on record, according to newly released weather data.Key pointsGlobal sea surface temperature reached an all-time observed highGlobal tropical cyclone activity was above average, producing 19 tropical stormsEl Niño conditions fuelled record temperatures across vast areas of the central and eastern tropical Pacific OceanThe planetary heat record was documented by monthly reports from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Service, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA.Its effects were felt around the planet, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.The northern hemisphere experienced its warmest summer while the southern hemisphere had a near-record warm winter.Meanwhile, the Arctic and Antarctic each had below-average sea ice coverage in August.Heatwaves and droughtWestern Europe saw heatwaves in August, continuing an exceptional run of extreme heat that began in May, and severe drought conditions were reported in France, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and the United Kingdom.Large parts of central and eastern Europe also saw widespread dryness in August, in some cases persisting since May.Wate...