The World has just experienced its hottest day on record

On 3 July, the average global temperature reached 17.01°C. It’s the first time it has ever passed 17°C and the highest average since records began in the 19th century. The heat is due to a ‘double whammy’ of climate change and El Niño. El Niño is a periodic global weather pattern that causes temperatures to soar. The previous hottest day - 16.92°C - was also during an El Niño, in August 2016. Scientists expect to see more records broken in the coming months as the current El Niño gathers strength.