After months of devastating heatwaves and wildfires around the world, 2018 is set to be the fourth hottest year on record, according to the UN’s specialist weather agency.

Figures released by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) for the first 10 months of the year reveal the planet was nearly 1C above the preindustrial baseline.

The 20 warmest years ever measured have been in the past 22 years, and over the past five years warming has averaged more than 1C higher than historical levels.

Scientists are concerned the world is still nowhere near slowing down these soaring temperatures, as thermometers creep closer to the Paris climate agreement’s ambitious 1.5C target.

“These are more than just numbers,” the WMO deputy secretary general Elena Manaenkova said.

Statista

“Every fraction of a degree of warming makes a difference to human health and access to food and fresh water, to the extinction of animals and plants, to the survival of coral reefs and marine life… Every extra bit matters.”

Global temperature records stretch back to 1880, the earliest date for which a reliable estimate covering the whole planet can be made. This year comes in behind 2016, 2015 and 2017 in the ranking of the hottest years ever recorded.

With an El Nino event predicted to happen in the coming months, temperatures next year are likely to shoot up again as a natural boost to ocean warming combines with man-made climate change.

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Extinction Rebellion demands that the UK government reduces to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and creates a citizens assembly to oversee changes in environmental policies. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Organised by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Police with demonstrators on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators take part in a pro-environment protest as they block Westminster Bridge in central London on November 17, 2018, calling on the British government to take action on climate and ecological issues. - Organized by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to call for action on what they describe as a climate and ecological emergency. Extinction Rebellion demands that the UK government reduces to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and creates a citizens assembly to oversee changes in environmental policies. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges epa07172610 Pro environment protesters block Westminster bridge in central London, Britain, 17 November 2018. Reports state that the protest organized by Extinction Rebellion group is planning to close five main bridges across the river Thames, seeking to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges A demonstrator is led away by police on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Environmental campaigners from the direct action group Rebellion demonstrate on Westminster Bridge in central London, Britain, November 17, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls PETER NICHOLLS Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Police with demonstrators on Westminster Bridge in London for a protest called by Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness of the dangers posed by climate change. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 17, 2018. See PA story PROTEST Rebellion. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire John Stillwell PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Environmental campaigners from the direct action group Rebellion demonstrate on Westminster Bridge in central London, Britain, November 17, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls PETER NICHOLLS Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators take part in a pro-environment protest as they block Westminster Bridge, near the Houses of Parliament in central London on November 17, 2018, to show anger at government inaction on climate and ecological issues. - Organised by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators take part in a pro-environment protest as they block Westminster Bridge in central London on November 17, 2018, to show anger at government inaction on climate and ecological issues. - Organized by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Police with demonstrators on Westminster Bridge in London for a protest called by Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness of the dangers posed by climate change. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 17, 2018. See PA story PROTEST Rebellion. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire John Stillwell PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges epa07173093 A pro environment protester infornt of police on Lambeth bridge in London, Britain, 17 November 2018. Reports state that the protest organized by Extinction Rebellion group is planning to close five main bridges across the river Thames, seeking to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges epa07172601 Pro environment protesters block Westminster bridge in central London, Britain, 17 November 2018. Reports state that the protest organized by Extinction Rebellion group is planning to close five main bridges across the river Thames, seeking to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges epa07172698 Pro environment protesters hold a placard as they block Westminster bridge in central London, Britain, 17 November 2018. Reports state that the protest organized by Extinction Rebellion group is planning to close five main bridges across the river Thames, seeking to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge in London for a protest called by Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness of the dangers posed by climate change. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday November 17, 2018. See PA story PROTEST Rebellion. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire John Stillwell PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Environmental campaigners from the direct action group Rebellion demonstrate on Westminster Bridge in central London, Britain, November 17, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls PETER NICHOLLS Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges epa07172703 Pro environment protesters hold a placard as they block Westminster bridge in central London, Britain, 17 November 2018. Reports state that the protest organized by Extinction Rebellion group is planning to close five main bridges across the river Thames, seeking to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators take part in a pro-environment protest as they block Westminster Bridge in central London on November 17, 2018, to show anger at government inaction on climate and ecological issues. - Organized by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP)TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images TOLGA AKMEN AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges epa07172629 Pro environment protester holds a placard as they block Westminster bridge in central London, Britain, 17 November 2018. Reports state that the protest organized by Extinction Rebellion group is planning to close five main bridges across the river Thames, seeking to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Environmental campaigners from the direct action group Rebellion demonstrate on Westminster Bridge in central London, Britain, November 17, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls PETER NICHOLLS Reuters

Professor Tim Osborn of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit, which provides data used in the WMO analysis, said global warming triggered by greenhouse gas emissions was now very clear.

“The last four years were the four warmest years on record because, globally, humans have taken coal, oil and gas out of the ground, burnt them, and so emitted one and a half trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide to the Earth’s atmosphere,” he said.

This summer, alarm bells rang across much of the world as soaring temperatures and extreme weather provided a picture of what the future could look like as a result of the changing climate.

Wildfires struck California and Greece, while a heatwave swept the northern hemisphere from Europe to Japan, and east Africa and India experienced heavy flooding.

Scientists are now more confident than ever in linking such catastrophic events to the rising global temperatures and their impact on global weather patterns.

“The knock-on effects for our regional climates and for severe weather events are beginning to emerge from the background variability of our weather,” said Professor Osborn.

The WMO’s provisional Statement on the State of the Climate in 2018 will add the evidence informing major UN climate negotiations taking place in Poland next week.

On Wednesday, the UN’s environment arm warned that global commitments to cutting emissions must triple to hit the Paris agreement’s 2C target, and increase by five times to hit the stretch target of 1.5C warming.

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The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in October that hitting that aspirational target is still technically possible, but would require “unprecedented” changes to every aspect of human life.

“We are not on track to meet climate change targets and rein in temperature increases,” said WMO secretary general Petteri Taalas.

“Greenhouse gas concentrations are once again at record levels and if the current trend continues, we may see temperature increases 3-5C by the end of the century.