The World Meteorological Organization announced Thursday that the last eight years were the hottest years ever recorded, despite the cooling effects of the La Niña phenomenon.

La Niña is a periodic weather pattern that has a cooling effect across the globe and 2022 recorded the warmest La Niña period ever.

“The past eight years are on track to be the eight warmest on record, fuelled by ever-rising greenhouse gas concentrations and accumulated heat,” the World Meteorological Organization’s provisional State of the Global Climate in 2022 report stated.

“Extreme heatwaves, drought and devastating flooding have affected millions and cost billions this year.”

“2022 took an exceptionally heavy toll on glaciers in the European Alps, with initial indications of record-shattering melt. The Greenland ice sheet lost mass for the 26th consecutive year and it rained (rather than snowed) there for the first time in September,” the report said.