2023 hottest recorded year as Earth nears key limit

BRUSSELS — Last year was the planet's hottest on record by a substantial margin and likely the world's warmest in the past 100,000 years, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Tuesday.

Scientists had widely expected the milestone, after climate records were repeatedly broken. Since June, every month has been the world's hottest on record compared with the corresponding month in previous years.

"This has been a very exceptional year, climate-wise... in a league of its own, even when compared to other very warm years," Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo said.