In June, the average sea surface temperature reached 20.85°C, which is a record high on record, UN News Service reports.

“This was happening before the traditional peak of summer in the northern hemisphere, which will see more intense periods of extreme heat,” World Meteorological Organization secretary-general Celeste Saulo said.

Temperatures were reported above average in June in southeastern Europe and Turkey, while temperatures were around or below average in western Europe, Iceland and northwestern Russia. Outside of Europe, temperatures were above average in eastern Canada, the western United States and Mexico, Brazil, northern Siberia, the Middle East, North Africa and western Antarctica.

June 2024 was wetter than normal over Iceland, central and much of southwestern Europe, with heavy rainfall leading to flooding in Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland.

Under the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to keep the Earth’s long-term average global surface temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and work to limit it to 1.5°C by the end of this century.