US scientists confirm 2016 was Earth’s hottest year ever
Greenhouse gases are among the chief causes of global warming and climate change. Photo: Getty
US scientists say the Earth sizzled to a third straight heat record last year.
They mostly blame man-made global warming with help from a natural El Nino, which has since disappeared.
The figures announced Wednesday come from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which measure global temperatures in slightly different ways.
2016: hottest year on record! Took this photo of a massive iceberg on my #yearinspace in January! #StateOfClimate https://t.co/gAXlEwSNri pic.twitter.com/pS32dqaQnM
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) January 18, 2017
They said last year passed 2015 as the hottest year on record.
NOAA calculated that the average global temperature last year was 14.84 degrees Celsius – beating the previous year by .04 degrees.
NASA’s figures include more of the Arctic, which was warmer than usual.
The agency said last year was .12 degrees warmer than 2015.
The figures come on the eve of US President–elect and climate change critic Donald Trump’s inauguration.
