May 20, 2016•Update: May 21, 2016
GENEVA
Global temperature records were broken again last month with April 2016 continuing the record temperature streak for the 12th consecutive month, the World Meteorological Organization said Friday.
Addressing a press conference in Geneva, WMO spokeswoman Claire Nullis said: "Overall, 13 out of the 15 highest-monthly temperature departures in the record have all occurred since February 2015."
According to National Centers for Environment Information's global regional analysis, “all six continents had at least a top nine warm April, with South America, Africa, and Asia observing a record high average temperature for April.”
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “the combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for April 2016 was 1.10 degree Celsius [1.98 degree Fahrenheit] above the 20th century average of 13.7 degree Celsius [56.7 degree Fahrenheit] - the highest temperature departure for April since global records began in 1880."
According to the NOAA monthly report, Russia and Alaska had temperatures of at least 3 degree Celsius above average while South America, Africa, and Asia, with an exceptional heat wave in Southeast Asia, also had record high average temperatures.
“It is not just land which is seeing record temperatures - the oceans have also been very hot indeed. This is a result of El Nino and global warming,” Nullis added.
