Hotter and hotter – earth continues to warm

Another month, another record; data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rated August 2015 as the warmest August on record.

Data analysis from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) was only slightly at odds with that of NOAA. NASA rated August as the second warmest August on record, just 0.1C behind 2014.

Giving NOAA the benefit of any minor doubt, August now joins February, March, May, June and July in breaking monthly temperatures records which go back to 1880.

RELATED: El Nino set to be strongest ever

In the northern hemisphere, the summer (June, July and August) was the warmest ever recorded.

In the oceans, August saw the greatest long-term departure from the average value ever recorded in the 135 year data base, beating the record which had been set only last month!

These records add support to debunking the myth of a pause, or hiatus in global warming, claimed by climate change sceptics between 1997 and 2013.

The warming barely reflects the developing El Nino which is likely to add at least 0.1C to global air temperatures in the coming months.

This year, 2015, is on course to be the warmest year ever recorded, eclipsing 2014. The UK Met Office also believes that 2016 could well be as warm, if not warmer, than either 2014 or 2015.

The August temperature record is the 30th monthly temperature record to be broken since 2000.

For those who remain sceptical about climate change, or at least the anthropogenic contribution to it, there may be concerns that the data above has been “cherry-picked” to “fit” the warming story.

If so, it is worth pointing out that that the last time a “cold” monthly temperature record was set was back in 1916.