The World Meteorological Organisation on Monday said 2016 will be the hottest year on record, with 16 of the 17 hottest years being recorded in this century. The United Nations body said the global temperature was running 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, setting a new high for the third year in a row, The Guardian reported.

In its report at the Marrakesh Climate Change Conference in Morocco, the body said the rising temperature meant that the effects of climate change would affect the global population sooner than expected. The El Nino weather phenomenon had also contributed to this year’s temperature records, the WMO said, according to Reuters. WMO secretary-general Petteri Talas said the “occurrence and impact of extreme events” had risen because of climate change. “’Once in a generation’ heatwaves and flooding are becoming more regular,” he said.

Data provided by the UN’s refugee agency showed that 19.2 million people were displaced by climate change, weather hazards and natural disasters such as earthquakes in 2015, the WMO further said. The Paris climate change deal, which came into force on November 4, calls on countries to limit the rise in global temperature to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.