WASHINGTON, July 22 — Last month was the hottest June worldwide since record keeping began in 1880, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.
It marked the third month in a row that global temperature reached a record high, Xinhua news agency reports NOAA saying in its monthly climate report.
April and May were also global record-breakers, according to NOAA. “The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for June stood at 16.22 degrees Celsius or 0.72 degree Celsius above the 20th century average of 15.5 degrees Celsius,” the NOAA said.
“This surpasses the previous record of 0.03 degrees Celsius in 2010,” it said. Nine of the ten hottest June on record have all occurred in the last five years in the 21st century.
Most of the world experienced warmer-than-average monthly temperatures, with record warmth across part of south-eastern Greenland and northern South America, some areas in eastern and central Africa and sections of southern and south-eastern Asia.
“Thirty-one countries across every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, reported at least one station with a record warm June temperature,” said the report.
It also marked the 38th consecutive June and 352nd consecutive month that global temperature was above the 20th century average.
Only a few areas in North America, Far East Russia and small parts of central and north-eastern Europe were cooler or much cooler than average.
This year and 2002 are reported to be the third warmest year on record, with a global temperature of about 0.67 degree Celsius above average. Only 2010 and 1998 were warmer.
“With the exception of February (21st warmest), every month to date in 2014 has ranked among the four warmest for its respective month,” the NOAA said.
–BERNAMA
