Summary
The average temperature was about 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than before the industrial age.
Heat caused wildfires, droughts, and strong storms in many countries.
Experts say using less coal, oil, and gas can help slow the warming.
Key Points
5 points1
August tied with July 2023 as the hottest month since records began.
2
The world’s average surface temperature reached 16.96°C.
3
Extreme heat contributed to fires from Indonesia to Greece and floods in Nepal and Tibet.
4
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which traps heat in the atmosphere.
5
The United Nations says staying below 1.5°C is now very hard, so faster action is needed.
New Words to Learn
13 wordsaverage
the middle value after adding numbers together and dividing
global
relating to the whole Earth
temperature
how hot or cold something is
pre‑industrial
the period before many machines and factories existed
climate change
long‑term warming of the Earth caused by gases from human activities
fossil fuels
energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas that come from ancient plants
carbon dioxide
a gas released when fossil fuels are burned that helps trap heat
wildfire
a large, uncontrolled fire in nature
drought
a long period with very little rain
storm
strong wind and rain that can cause flooding
United Nations
an international group of countries working together
European Union
a partnership of European countries
Copernicus Climate Change Service
a scientific organization that tracks Earth's climate
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