Phoenix has broken its own streak of blistering hot days, southern Europeans and millions of people on vacation there broiled under near-record temperatures, while parts of the Middle East tested the limits of what the human body is capable of enduring.
Firefighting aircraft and ground crews from other countries are headed to Greece to help battle wildfires that have intensified as a heatwave baked much of southern Europe in temperatures above 40 degrees.
The extreme heat scorching Phoenix set a new record on Tuesday, the 19th consecutive day temperatures hit at least 43C (110 degrees Fahrenheit) in a summer of suffering echoing around much of the globe.
Italian authorities have issued an "extreme" health risk for 16 cities including Rome and Florence this weekend as a heat wave that is baking Europe threatens to bring record temperatures.
Severe warnings are in place in four states and territories as a cold front sweeps across southeast Australia, bringing damaging winds, showers, storms and alpine snow.
While much of Australia was blanketed in a cold fog and spitting rain, a world record was being broken with blistering heat descending on North America, North Africa and Asia.
The specialised United Nations agency's announcement followed the same call from American meteorologists. The Bureau of Meteorology is yet to follow suit.
The referendum was sparked by a campaign by scientists and environmentalists to save Switzerland's iconic glaciers, which are melting away at an alarming rate.
Australia's warm start to winter has seen records tumble, but you wouldn't know it depending on where you are, with a stormy "thundersnow" event also hammering our alpine regions this week.
An El Niño event is looking more probable than ever after the Bureau of Meteorology upgraded its status from "El Niño watch" to "El Niño alert" this afternoon.
Multiple states have been warned of strong winds, cold temperatures and heavy rain as a "powerful" cold front begins to cross the southern parts of the country.
The anticipated El Nino and attendant warmer, drier conditions in the coming year are set to roll Australian agriculture back from recent record-breaking levels.
It's been a record-breaking start to winter for many, but now residents in every state and territory have been warned to brace as storms, powerful winds and possible hail are set to hit southern WA before drifting east.