A preliminary analysis of global temperature data for July suggests it may have "marginally" become the warmest month on record.
Figures from the first 29 days of a month in which many countries had heatwaves are "on a par" or slightly higher than a record set in July 2016.
The assessment was carried out by researchers at the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
Confirmation of a new record must await a full analysis is released on Monday
Scientists say it's the latest sign that Earth is experiencing unprecedented warming.
The new data compiled by C3S incorporates observations from satellites and ground based stations.
The July figures are likely to be the highest recorded in the organisation's 40-year dataset.
They follow on from a global record for June, which was confirmed by data from several different agencies.
According to Copernicus, every month this year ranks among the four warmest on record for the month in question.
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While researchers can't directly link these new high marks to climate change, there is a wide sense among scientists that emissions of carbon dioxide from human activities are altering background temperatures and making new records more likely./BBC news