July 2023 declared hottest month on record

July 2023 was the hottest month on record. The global average temperature was 62.51 degrees Fahrenheit — nearly two-thirds of a degree hotter than the previous record set in 2019, and more than one degree hotter than the average set over the last 30 years, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Journalist and writer Jeff Goodell explains the significance of the numbers.