This year set to be warmest in 125,000 years, EU scientists say

Heat is a result of continued greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels

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This year is set to be the world's warmest in 125,000 years, European Union scientists said on Wednesday, after data showed last month was the hottest October on record by a massive margin.

Last month exceeded the previous highest October average temperature, from 2019, by 0.4 degrees Celsius, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) deputy director Samantha Burgess said, describing the temperature anomaly as "very extreme". That has made 2023 as a whole "virtually certain" to be the warmest year recorded, C3S said in a statement.