Copernicus, the Earth observation agency, has warned that last month was the hottest October on record globally, with temperatures 1.7°C above late-1800s levels. This paves the way for 2023 to become the warmest year since records began.

“We can say with near certainty that 2023 will be the warmest year on record, and is currently 1.43°C above the pre-industrial average,” said Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus Climate Change Service. “The sense of urgency for ambitious climate action going into COP28 has never been higher.”

The EU agency said that global average air temperatures in October 2023 were 0.4°C warmer than the previous high of October 2019. The rise in global temperatures was described as a result of increasing carbon emissions and an El Niño weather event.

October also marked the fifth month in a row of record warmth.

“The 2023 numbers on air temperatures, sea temperatures, sea ice and the rest look like something out of a...