2020 Had the Warmest September on Record, Data Shows

Worldwide, last month was the warmest September on record, topping a record set just a year before, European scientists announced Wednesday.

It was also the hottest September on record for Europe. Northern Siberia, Western Australia, the Middle East and parts of South America similarly recorded above-average temperatures.

The announcement, by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, an intergovernmental agency supported by the European Union, capped nine months of devastating wildfires and followed the most active Atlantic hurricane season since 2005.

It also came as Arctic sea ice plunged to its second-lowest levels on record, driven by record temperatures in late June. Many experts predict that by 2050, Arctic sea ice could melt completely during the summer.