STORY:

Source: U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction

The average global temperature reached 62.62 Fahrenheit, as heatwaves sizzled around the world

It was 116F in Phoenix, Arizona, the city's hottest day this year

China's lasting heatwave cranked up the mercury to above 95F

Even Antarctica, currently in its winter, registered anomalously high temperatures

Scientists said climate change and an emerging El Nino pattern were to blame