Earth's average temperature has set a new unofficial record high once again, the fourth day in a row it has broken or equalled such a milestone.
Key points: The Earth's average temperature was 17.23C on Thursday, breaking the all-time record.
The Earth's average temperature was 17.23C on Thursday, breaking the all-time record The data, from the University of Mine's Climate Reanalyzer, is regarded as another troubling sign of climate change in action.
Still, the Maine data has been widely regarded as another troubling sign of climate change around the globe.
Some climate scientists said this week they were not surprised to see the unofficial records.
Robert Watson, a scientist and former chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said governments and the private sector "are not truly committed to address climate change".
"They demand cheap energy, cheap food and do not want to pay the true cost of food and energy," Dr Watson said. »