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August marks ongoing trend of record-breaking heat for the globe: NOAA


September 21, 2016   by Canadian Underwriter


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August 2016 marked the 16th month of record warmth for the globe, the longest such streak in 137 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Tuesday.

heatwave in the city and hand showing thermometerLast month was 1.66 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average, breaking last years’ record for the warmest August on record by 0.09 degrees F, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. The June to August seasonal temperature was 1.6 degrees F above average, surpassing the heat record for this period set in 2015 by 0.07 degrees.

Records date back to 1880.

For the year to date, the average global temperature was 1.82 degrees F above average, also breaking the heat record set in 2015 by 0.29 degrees F.

More notable findings around the world include:

  • The globally averaged sea surface temperature was second warmest on record for August and warmest on record for both the season (June–August) and the year to date (January–August);
  • The globally averaged land surface temperature was record high for August, the season (June–August) and the year to date (January–August);
  • Africa and Asia had their warmest August; South America had its second; North America its sixth; Europe its 10th; and Oceania its 19th;
  • The average Arctic sea ice extent for August was 23.1% below the 1981–2010 average. This was the fourth smallest August extent since records began in 1979; and
  • The average Antarctic sea ice extent for August was 0.2% above the 1981–2010 average, the 19th largest on record for the month.

Last month, the NOAA reported that July 2016 was the hottest month on record for the globe, breaking last year’s record for the warmest July on record by 0.11 degrees F.


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