(FILES) A polar bear is seen on ice floes in the British Channel in the Franz Josef Land archipelago on August 16, 2021. Global temperatures "smashed" heat records last year, as heatwaves stalked oceans and glaciers suffered record ice loss, the United Nations said on March 19, 2024, warning 2024 was likely to be even hotter. The annual State of the Climate report by the UN's World Meteorological Organization confirmed preliminary data showing 2023 was by far the hottest year ever recorded. (Photo by Ekaterina ANISIMOVA / AFP)