Earth’s average temperature on Wednesday remained at an unofficial record high set the day before. And for the seven-day period ending Wednesday, the daily average temperature was .08 degrees Fahrenheit higher than any week in 44 years of record-keeping, according to data from the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer, a tool that uses satellite data and computer simulations to measure the world’s condition.
“It’s certainly an alarming sign of the times,” said U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq, noting that the warming trend is a predicted consequence of nations not working fast enough to address climate change. “We might be facing greater climate catastrophes if we do not take action.” In Timbuktu, Mali — at the gateway to the desert — 50-year-old Fatoumata Arby said this kind of heat is new. “Usually, at night it’s a bit cool even during the hot season, but this year, even at night, it’s been hot - I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Arby, who rarely leaves her hometown. “I’ve been having heart palpitations because of the heat. I’m starting to think seriously that I’m going to leave Timbuktu.
One of the largest contributors to this week's records is an exceptionally mild winter in the Antarctic. Parts of the continent and nearby ocean were 18-36 degrees Fahrenheit higher than averages from 1979 to 2000.