In such punishing heat, it became dangerous, and even deadly, to be outside, or inside without air conditioning. Where humidity was high, it felt even hotter than the number on the thermometer indicated, sometimes by more than 10 or 20 degrees Fahrenheit. In many regions, the heat arrived, and stayed, stifling some cities for weeks on end. The scorching temperatures were hardly temporary. This September was also the hottest on record globally, according to a report from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The new high was also the largest annual increase in global average temperatures, compared with the same period in previous years, according to multiple institutions, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This past meteorological summer (June through August) was the Northern Hemisphere’s warmest on record. The globe spins to Japan, where the northern part of the country shows temperatures more than 4 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal.
