Global warming is continuing its relentless march with 2020 tying with 2016 as the hottest year on record. The announcement was made by the European Union’s climate monitoring service on Friday.

The six years since 2015 are the six warmest ever registered, as are 20 of the last 21, evidence of a persistent and deepening trend, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported.

“2020 stands out for its exceptional warmth,” said C3S director Carlo Buontempo, of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (E3C).

“This is yet another reminder of the urgency of ambitious emissions reductions to prevent adverse climate impacts in the future.”