Average global temperatures remained at record highs on Wednesday, two days after the planet hit an unofficial record. This is the latest indicator of a series of extreme events due to climate change.

According to the University of Maine, the average global temperature was 17.18 degrees Celsius (62.9 degrees Fahrenheit). climate reanalyzer, a tool that uses satellite data and computer simulations to measure the state of the world. It matched the record of 17.18 degrees Celsius (62.9 degrees Fahrenheit) set on Tuesday and followed the record of 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit) set on Monday.

For months, scientists have predicted that man-made climate change, largely caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil, will raise atmospheric temperatures, and 2023 will see record heat. I have warned you that it is possible. They also noted that the effects of La Niña, the natural cooling of the oceans that played a role in counteracting that warming, are being replaced. El Nino, a reversal phenomenon characterized by ocean warming. The North Atlantic has recorded record warmth this year.

“Such a record is yet another testament to a proposition that is now widely held. global warming It’s pushing us into a hotter future,” said Chris Field, a climate scientist at Stanford University who wasn’t involved in the calculations.

University of Maine climate scientist Sean Burkle, creator of the Climate Reanalyzer, said the daily numbers are unofficial but a useful snapshot of what’s happening in a warming world.

The numbers aren’t official government records, but “it shows where we are right now,” said Sarah Kapnick, chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And NOAA has indicated that it intends to factor this figure into its official record calculations.

The dataset used for informal records only goes back to 1979, but considering other data, the world is likely to experience the hottest day in ‘our centuries’. said Kapnick.

Scientists typically use much longer measurements of months, years and decades to track global warming. But daily highs show that climate change is reaching uncharted territory.

Kapnick said 38 million Americans were under some form of heat warning on Wednesday.

This included communities unaccustomed to feeling that kind of heat. In North Grenville, Ontario, the city turned an ice hockey rink into a cooling center as temperatures hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) Wednesday and humidity felt like 100.4 degrees (38 degrees Celsius).

“We feel like we live in a tropical country right now,” said city spokeswoman Jill Sturdy. “It kind of stings you. The air is so thick.”

Many places see temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), so the average temperature record might appear otherwise. very hot. But Tuesday’s highest global temperature was nearly 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) above the 1979-2000 average and already above the 20th and 19th century averages.

Quebec and Peru surpassed record high temperatures this week. Beijing Last week, it reported temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) for the ninth straight day, and ordered a halt to all outdoor work as higher temperatures are expected on Wednesday. Cities across the United States, from Medford, Oregon to Tampa, Fla., are experiencing record temperatures, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Zach Taylor.

Alan Harris, director of emergency management for Seminole County, Florida, said the county has already activated its extreme weather plan for more days than last year. This is an extreme weather program that occurs when the heat index reaches 108 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

“We had a blistering heat wave last week and now it looks like it could last for two weeks,” Harris said.

Heat advisories are in effect for parts of western Oregon, far north inland California, central New Mexico, Texas, Florida and coastal Carolina. National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center. Excessive heat warnings remain in place across southern Arizona and California.

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