People enjoy the water spray jets at Bastille square in center Paris, France, on Aug 23, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

AMSTERDAM - Last month was the hottest August on record globally, the third straight month in a row to set such a record following the hottest ever June and July, the European Union's Copernicus climate change panel said on Wednesday.

August is estimated to have been around 1.5 C hotter than the pre-industrial average for the 1850-1900 period. Pursuing efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 C is a central pledge of the Paris international climate change agreement adopted by 196 countries in 2015.

July 2023 remains the hottest month ever recorded, while August's record makes the northern hemisphere's summer the hottest since records began in 1940.

Sunbathers enjoy the beach in Ostia, near Rome, Italy, on Aug 23, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

"Global temperature records continue to tumble in 2023," Copernicus deputy head Samantha Burgess said.

"The scientific evidence is overwhelming, we will continue to see more climate records and more intense and frequent extreme weather events impacting society and ecosystems, until we stop emitting greenhouse gases," Burgess said.

In Europe, August was wetter than normal last month over large parts of central Europe and Scandinavia leading to flooding, while France, Greece, Italy and Portugal saw droughts that led to wildfires.

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A digital sign displays the temperature at 42 C in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug 24, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

Well-above average temperatures also occurred over Australia, several South American countries and around much of Antarctica in August, the institute said.

Meanwhile, the global ocean saw the warmest daily surface temperature on record, and had its warmest month overall.

With four months left in 2023, this year is so far the second-hottest on record, only marginally behind 2016.