Beijing: The climate crisis is reaching an unprecedented level of urgency as global temperatures soar to record-breaking heights, with July 2023 marking another alarming milestone.

Based on the China global Merged Surface Temperature dataset 2.0 (CMST 2.0), a new study from Sun Yat-sen University has revealed that 2023 is expected to be the hottest year ever. This comes after NASA and the European Union Climate Monitor has also stated 2023 to be the hottest on record.

For the new study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, the researchers analysed the CMST 2.0 dataset and discovered that 2023 has already experienced the third hottest first half-year since records began, narrowly trailing 2016 -- the warmest year -- and 2020 -- the second warmest.

The global mean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) surged to an all-time high in April, while global mean land air temperatures followed suit by reaching their second-highest monthly level in June. This combination resulted in May being crowned the hottest month ever recorded for global mean surface temperatures.

Global temperatures will continue to rise into the second half of 2023, driven by factors including El Niño and widespread wildfires. Both global mean SSTs and global mean land temperatures reached unprecedented highs for July, shattering previous records.

"Given the current trajectory and short-term forecast results of El Niño, along with the extremely positive phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation that strongly influences global surface temperatures, 2023 is expected to be the hottest year on record," said Prof. LI Qingxiang from Sun Yat-sen.