July 2019 was the hottest month ever recorded, says U.S. government

July 2019 is officially the hottest month on record. The average global temperature soared to 1.71 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.

The report comes after speculation and earlier data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service that made the same conclusion.

July marked the 415th consecutive month with above-average temperatures world-wide, according to data from NOAA, a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce that studies climate and weather. The previous hottest month recorded was July 2016; records date back 140 years to 1880.

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Last month also saw record-low Arctic sea ice at 19.8 percent below the historic average for the same time of year.

Earlier this month, United Nations secretary-general António Guterres said "beautiful speeches" are not enough to combat climate change — action is needed. The UN released a report on climate change last week and is holding a Climate Action Summit in September "to boost ambition and accelerate actions to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change."