Japan just experienced its hottest July on record, toppling a previous record average for the month that was set only last year.

The deviation from the average temperature between 1991 and 2020 — a period when warming was already well underway — was 2.16 degrees Celsius, the Meteorological Agency said Thursday.

In July last year, the difference was 1.91 C, with that surpassing a high that had stood since 1978.