With average temperatures exceeding anything in 141 years of compiled data, last month was the hottest January on record over the world’s land and ocean surfaces, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“The January global land and ocean surface temperature was the highest on record at 2.05 degrees Fahrenheit (1.14 degrees Celsius) above the 20th century average,” NOAA said in a statement Thursday.
The 10 warmest Januaries on record have all happened since 2002, the agency noted. According to a statistical analysis done by NCEI scientists, the year 2020 is very likely to rank among the five warmest years on record.
January 2016 was the previous record holder for warmest January.
