North America had its hottest June on record

• "These heatwaves are not happening in a vacuum. They are happening in a global climate environment that is warming and which makes them more likely to occur," Copernicus scientist Julien Nicolas tells AFP.
• Human-induced climate change dramatically increases the odds, severity, extent and longevity of extreme heat events.

By the numbers: June in North America was 1.2°C above the 1991-2020 average. Until last month, the warmest June on record in North America was in 2012 at 1.05°C above that three-decade average, they said.

• On a worldwide basis, Copernicus said: "June 2021 joins June 2018 as the fourth warmest June on record globally, after the Junes of 2016, 2019 and 2020."

Catch up fast: Last month saw many records fall, often by large margins.That included Portland, Oregon hitting hit 116°F (roughly 46.7°C) and Lytton, British Columbia reaching 121°F (or 49.4°C). That town was devastated by a wildfire the day after that peak.

Go deeper: Pacific Northwest heat wave, Canada temperature record shock experts