Geneva, Switzerland/Washington DC - July is set to be the hottest month in thousands of years, climate scientists from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Climate Change Service Copernicus reported, as President Joe Biden called the soaring temperatures an "existential threat."

The experts in Geneva analyzed data up to July 23 and reported their findings on Thursday. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, "We don’t have to wait for the end of the month to know this. Short of a mini-Ice Age over the next days, July 2023 will shatter records across the board."

He added, "The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived." Guterres, like many other public figures recently, has called on politicians to immediately adopt drastic steps to curb climate change.

The first three weeks in July were the warmest ever recorded and 2023 could break the previous record of 2016 as the hottest year on record, said Chris Hewitt, director of climate services at WMO.

Environment and Climate Two dead as "bomb cyclone" storm pounds western US

According to the data, the hottest single day was July 6, with a global average temperature of 62.7 degrees Fahrenheit, closely followed by July 5 and July 7.

The high water temperature of the oceans also contributed to the particularly warm July, the WMO reported.

The WMO is 98 % certain that one of the next five years will be the hottest ever recorded.

"Man-made emissions are ultimately the main reason for rising temperatures," Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo said. "Reducing greenhouse gases is more urgent than ever," said WMO chief Petteri Taalas.

"Climate action is not a luxury, it is a must."

Meanwhile, President Biden on Thursday said the soaring temperatures from climate change are an "existential threat."

"I don't think anybody can deny the impact of climate change anymore," Biden said at the White House, where he held a video conference with the mayors of heat-blasted Phoenix, Arizona, and San Antonio, Texas.

Biden said heat is the "number one weather-related killer" in the United States, causing 600 deaths every year.

He also announced measures to bolster heat-related safety rules for workers – especially farmers, construction workers, and others laboring outdoors – and additional funding for the weather forecasting service.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told Biden that her desert city "is known for heat... but right now this summer has really been unprecedented."

"It's taking a real toll on our community. We feel like we're very much on the frontlines of climate change," she said.

Addressing San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg on the video link, Biden quipped: "I hope the air conditioning's working."