2016 on track to become hottest year on record

21.10.16 By
This article is more than 7 years old

2016 is likely to become the warmest on record globally, for the third year in a row – according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The first nine months of 2016 have been the warmest on record, at an astonishing 0.99°C above average.

September 2016 was the second-warmest September in 137 years of records, falling just 0.04°C shy of 2015’s record.

2016 year-to-date temperatures versus previous years

This graphic compares the year-to-date temperature anomalies for 2016 (black line) to what were ultimately the seven warmest years on record: 2015, 2014, 2010, 2013, 2005, 2009, and 1998.

Each month represents the year-to-date average temperature. In other words, the January value is the January average temperature, the February value is the average of both January and February, and so on. The anomalies themselves represent departures from the 20th century average temperature.

With 2016 moving ever closer to becoming the hottest year on record, the scientific case for urgent climate action could not be more clear.

For all the details on September’s temperature data head to the NOAA website.