Amazon deforestation hits all-time record as area size of New York City cleared

An aerial view of a deforested plot of the Amazon rainforest in Manaus, Brazil

(Picture: REUTERS)

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazonrain forest has reached a record high as an area five times the size of New York City was destroyed.

Preliminary government data shows in the first six months of this year 3,988 square km (1,540 square miles) were cleared in the region