Breaking yet another record, the global average temperature for April of 2016 marked the 12th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century average, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reporting levels a full 1.10ºC above normal. This makes for the longest streak of record-breaking monthly temperatures — a full year’s worth — since record-keeping began in the 19th century.
That 1.10ºC above average (1.12ºC according to NASA) also places last month as the hottest April on record, and also stands to mark 2016 as the hottest year on record, with the January through April period seeing 1.14ºC above average around the globe.
Forecasting for the remainder of 2016, climate researchers are expecting the year’s global average come in at 1.13ºC above average, roughly a quarter of a degree over 2015’s records, and a full half degree over 1998’s temperature, when the last record-warm El Niño occurred.
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