July Was the World's Hottest Month on Record

July was the hottest month on Earth since records began, according to US scientists, with an average temperature worldwide of 61.9F (16.6C).

Scientists at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a report that they expected 2015 to be the hottest year on record.

Nine of the 10 hottest months since records began in 1880 have occurred since 2005, and the first seven months of 2015 are the hottest January-to-July span recorded.

"The world is warming. It is continuing to warm. That is being shown time and time again in our data," said Jake Crouch, physical scientist at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

"Now that we are fairly certain that 2015 will be the warmest year on record, it is time to start looking at what are the impacts of that? What does that mean for people on the ground?" he told reporters.

Scientists said global climate change and a boost this year from an El Nino warming of the Pacific Ocean were behind the record temperatures.

Large parts of the Earth were much warmer than average, including Africa which saw its second hottest July on record.

"Record warmth was also observed across much of northern South America, parts of southern Europe and central Asia, and the far western United States," said the NOAA report.

Parts of eastern Scandinavia and western Russia, eastern and southern Asia and scattered areas in central and northern North America were cooler than average.

From Discovery News