July, the hottest month on record: NOAA

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High temperatures are a sign of the onset of summer, but according to NOAA officials, this July’s temperature has surpassed previous records.

That’s not all: They also claim that this year is on the way to be the hottest in almost 4,000 years.

Source: NOAA

July’s average temperature across the globe ( land and ocean temperatures), according to NOAA, was 61.86 Fahrenheit (16.6 Celsius). This beats the previous global records that were set in 1998 and again in 2010 by “about one-seventh of a degree.” According to a report by the Associated Press, this difference in records is a large margin for weather records, with previous monthly heat records broken by a 20th of a degree or less.

So not only was the record broken, it was broken by a relatively large amount.

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Temperature changes from January 2013-July 2015. Image Source: NOAA

 

Not only were the world’s oceans the warmest they’ve been in July, but they were 1.35 degrees warmer than the 20th-century average, The Associated Press reported. Record high temps were recorded across Asia, Middle East, and Europe.

The first seven months of 2015 were the hottest first seven months of any year on record, according to NOAA.

Because the temperatures of the oceans are rising, NOAA climate scientists say that beyond July, this year is on its way to become the hottest on record. Climate scientists expect this year’s El Niño to bring about extremes in temperature. El Niño is a recurring weather phenomenon in the east and central tropical Pacific where, every two to seven years, the temperature at the sea surface starts to rise. The result can be extreme droughts to floods and more than average rainfall in various parts of the world during fall and winter.
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Who is the NOAA and how do they determine the temperature?

NOAA — the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — provides daily weather forecasts, storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration, and supporting marine commerce. NOAA’s NCIE ( National Center for Environmental Information) is responsible for providing and preserving an archive on “comprehensive oceanic, atmospheric, and geophysical data.” Data is collected through various satellite images and land and oceanic observation centers.

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Information from NOAA, The Associated Press.