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BRUSSELS (BLOOMBERG) – August 2020 will be the fourth warmest August on record worldwide, with above-average summer heat in the United States and Mexico moderated slightly by below-average temperatures in parts of the southern hemisphere.
Global temperatures for the month spiked around 0.9 degrees C above the historical average, according to a new report from Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
That reading was lower than the summers of 2018 and 2019, the agency said in a statement.
Still, the high temperatures recorded in recent months have steered 2020 to become the second hottest or possibly the hottest year on record.
Record highs have been recorded around the world, including a reading on August 17 of 54.4 degrees C in Death Valley, California, which could be the highest temperature on record.
Heat waves brought higher than average temperatures to Western and Central Europe in August, while the number of heat stress days in the “very strong” category was similar to last summer.
Northwestern Siberia and much of the Arctic Ocean also experienced above-average heat.
Extreme heat has fueled the worst wildfire season in the Arctic, and that makes 2020 the second year in a row to set a new record.
California is experiencing widespread wildfire activity, with the second and third worst fires in state history recorded this year.
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