UN: Last 7 years on track to be hottest on record

People cool off walking on the 'water mirror' in Bordeaux, southwestern France, in August last year as a heatwave hit the country. Photo: Mehdi Fedouach/AFP

The years from 2015 to 2021 are on track to be the seven hottest on record, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said recently, warning that the planet was heading into "uncharted territory".

The preliminary WMO state of the climate report, launched as the United Nations COP26 climate conference opens, said that global warming from greenhouse gas emissions threatens "far-reaching repercussions for current and future generations".