Earth hit an unofficial record high temperature this week – and stayed there

By SETH BORENSTEIN and ISABELLA O’MALLEY
Associated Press

Sweltering heat is blanketing much of the planet, and the past seven days have been the hottest week on record. It’s the latest grim milestone in a series of climate-change-driven extremes. 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. That’s according to data from the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer. It’s a tool that uses satellite data and computer simulations to measure the world’s condition.  The Climate Reanalyzer figures are an unofficial but significant data point, and an indication that climate change is reaching uncharted territory.