Heat goes on: Earth headed for warmest year on record
The planet notched its warmest October ever, continuing on its track for the warmest year on record as global warming continues unabated, scientists announced Thursday.
Fueled by unusually torrid oceans, the global temperature year-to-date is 1.22 degrees above the 20th-century average, NOAA reported.
"This is what we'd expect from increased greenhouse gases," said NOAA climate scientist Deke Arndt, referring to the cause of the planet's unusual warmth. Scientists say the burning of coal, oil and gas traps heat, changing the climate.
2014 is on target to beat 2010 and 1998, the previous warmest years since records began in 1880.
One of the only places globally having a colder-than-average year in 2014 is eastern North America, scientists said. However, the USA represents just 2% of the planet's surface, so what's happening there is far from representative of the entire globe, Arndt said.
Worldwide, five of the last six months have set monthly heat records — July being the only exception. Last month also marked the 38th consecutive October — and the 356th month in a row overall — with a global temperature that was above average. The last below-average global temperature for October was in 1976.
NASA and Japan's weather agency, which monitor global temperatures, also called it the hottest October on record. The trend extended to the USA, as well, which notched its fourth-warmest October, NOAA said.
In December, the warmer-than-average trend is likely to continue in the Northeast, the Climate Prediction Center forecast. However, the southern Plains are expected to see a cooler-than-average month.
As for rain and snow, the southern tier from California to the Carolinas is forecast to see the greatest chance for above-average precipitation next month.
The CPC predicts a 60% chance for an El Niño to develop across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean in the next few months. El Niño, a climate pattern marked by warmer-than-average ocean water, typically brings wetter conditions to parts of the western and southern USA.
Contributing: The Associated Press