Earth set a record high air temperature for the third time this week, averaging 17.23 degrees Celsius (63.01 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data.
On Monday, global air temperatures exceeded 17 degrees Celsius for the first time in recorded history. The data dates back to 1979.
The average global air temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius, or 62.61 Fahrenheit, on Monday, only to be followed by temperatures hitting 62.94 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday.
There are a number of factors causing record heat. While climate change due to rising greenhouse gases is considered the primary reason by scientists, a strengthening El Nino cycle is also a likely contributor.
Pam Knox, director of the University of Georgia's Weather Network, noted that areas that generally aren't considered warm are having much warmer conditions.
For instance, Montreal, Quebec, was under a heat warning on Thursday as the air temperature was expected to reach 95 and the heat index exceeded 100.
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The result of this heat could have an effect on those living in coastal communities. On Thursday, Colorado State University upgraded its forecast for this hurricane season, now expecting it to be above average.
"That is certainly going to affect the development of storms," Knox said. "It's competing with El Nino, which tends to inhibit the storms a little bit because there's strong winds aloft. But if you have enough warm water, then that's gonna certainly affect things. And of course, all that warm water puts off a lot of water vapor too. So things are likely to be quite humid this year and that's really uncomfortable for a lot of people."
Earlier this year, global sea surface temperatures set a record in nearly 40 years of monitoring. It was measured at 69.98 degrees Fahrenheit in early April.
The global sea surface temperatures remain exceptionally warm for the time of year, holding at 69.6 degrees as of Thursday.
Because of climate change, Knox suggested hotter conditions is something people across the world will have to get used to.
"Long term, how should we mentally and physically prepare for these increased temperatures?" Knox said. "What should we expect on our bodies and our lifestyle? We're gonna have to get used to dealing with warmer temperatures. It's not gonna be all the time. It's not gonna be every season, but we're in this creep upward, and it's not gonna go away because a lot of the impacts we're seeing now are caused by greenhouse gases that were put into the atmosphere 30 years ago."
