A remarkable spate of historic heat is hitting the planet, raising alarm over looming extreme weather dangers - and an increasing likelihood this year will be Earth's warmest on record.
New precedents have been set in recent weeks and months, surprising some scientists with their swift evolution: Historically warm oceans, with North Atlantic temperatures already nearing their typical annual peak; unparalleled low sea ice levels around Antarctica, where global warming impacts had, until now, been slower to appear; and the planet experiencing its warmest June ever charted, according to new data.