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smashing the mercury
So far, 2015 has been the hottest year since records began
And we just had the hottest ever May, and hottest ever Spring.
THE PLANET EARTH has just had the hottest May, the hottest Spring, and so far, 2015 has been the hottest year, ever recorded.
That’s according to a new report by the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which tracks global climate change.
Last month, the worldwide average temperature was 0.87 degrees Celsius warmer than the average for the 20th century, and the highest since records began in 1880.
Previously, the hottest May ever was in 2014.
We humans also just had the warmest Spring on record, with average global temperatures between March and May 0.85 degrees Celsius above the 20th century average, and surpassing the same season in 2010.
What’s more, NOAA’s report last night confirms that the first five months of 2015 have also been the hottest January to May since 1880, once again surpassing 2010.
The report notes many significant and extreme weather events in the last month, including a catastrophic heatwave in India which reached 49 degrees Celsius and killed more than 2,000 people.
Closer to home, Spain also experience its hottest May since 1964, and driest since 1947, with temperatures pushing 43 degrees Celsius.
The United States also had its wettest May since records began, 121 years ago.
Here’s a chart showing the average January-May global temperature (measured against the 20th Century average), over the last 135 years.
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