Rising temperatures should become a global "red alert", the head of the United Nations Meteorological and climate agency said on Wednesday, after global heat readings broke records again in August.

The world recorded record average temperatures in August for the second year in a row, according to preliminary data from the EU's climate monitoring service, seen by AFP.

Australia, Japan, parts of China and Norway had their hottest August on record, according to meteorological agencies.
„It is clear that temperatures are rising... more than we would like," said Celeste Saulo, head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). – And that's because not enough action is being taken.“

While the exact average global temperature for August 2024 is not yet known, the EU's climate change service, Copernicus (C3S), has estimated that it will be higher than the record high of 16.82 degrees Celsius measured last August. "Limits are being crossed all the time," said Ms Saulo, speaking at a regional climate forum of local meteorological services in Singapore. Ms Saulo also called for better monitoring and support for meteorological services, adding that „we need more resources“.

According to C3S, this record August continues an almost unbroken streak of 15 months in which every month of the year has broken its own temperature record.