Near record heat in 2017

THIS year is expected to be to the second or third warmest ever recorded, only slightly behind 2016, which was boosted by the “El Nino” phenomenon.

The heat has been accompanied by recordbreaking hurricanes, flooding and drought.

World Meteorological Organisation secretarygeneral Petteri Taalas said: “Studies will determine exactly how many [of these events] bear the sign of climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas from human activities.”