Temperatures rose above zero in parts of Illinois at the end of the week, as a deep freeze started to lift after bringing record-breaking cold to the state.

Hurricane Florence was nearing landfall on the North Carolina coast, bringing with it life-threatening storm surge, heavy rain and sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. Although downgraded to a Category 1 storm, the hurricane has grown larger and slowed its march inland — factors likely to contribute to potentially catastrophic flooding.

Last year, global warming reached record high temperatures — and if that news feels like déjà vu, you're not going crazy. The planet has now had three consecutive years of record-breaking heat.