For the first time in over a year - the monthly global temperature records haven't been broken.

Temperatures in July - last month - were only second to those of July 2023, according to new figures from the EU's climate monitoring service.

The average temperature around the planet was 16.9°C, which is 1.64°C above the pre-industrial era average.

Long-term average

This is higher than the commitment in the Paris Climate Accord to limit the worst effects of climate change; however, it’s not representative of the long-term average that scientists are focusing on.

That long-term average, which goes back to 1990, shows temperatures now are 0.76°C above it.

In Europe, the issue is more acute as temperatures are 1.49°C above the long-term average.

The report also shows the El Niño effect - which causes higher temperatures -is ending and is being replaced by a cooler phenomenon, La Niña.

Main image: Two wind turbines against the backdrop of a rising sun. Image: Ian Dyball / Alamy Stock Photo