2013 was one of the hottest years observed worldwide and scientists say there is an ongoing trend of rising global temperatures. Last month was the hottest June ever recorded in history since the first statistics were started in 1880, according to a new report.
Most of the world experienced warmer monthly temperatures in June in line with the concerning global warming tendencies of the last decade. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the combined average temperature for land and ocean was 16.22 degrees Celsius (61.20 Fahrenheit), which is 0.72 degrees C warmer than the average for the month in the 20th century. The last record was in 2010, but scientists say that June 2014 was even hotter. In fact, the temperature measured for the global ocean’s surface last month was the highest for any month so far. In other words, braking all world’s records, the global ocean has never been so warm before.
Indeed, the Earth is getting warmer – nine of the ten warmest Junes on record were all in the 21st century, five of them in the past five years. This year, we also had the warmest May and the warmest spring ever in history. In June, record warmth was found across southeastern Greenland, parts of northern South America, areas of southern and southeast Asia and parts of eastern and central Africa. Another concerning finding was that sea ice in the Arctic declined faster than normal for June.
The annual State of the Climate report 2013 was also just released by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center. Compiled by 425 from 57 countries over the course of the year 2013, it reviews and analyzes scientific data and weather events, as well as essential climate variables from all around the word. According to the results, 2013 has made it to the top 10 warmest years in history, with greenhouse gases reaching record highs.
