Weather
The last decade was the hottest on record, according to NOAA data, and 2019 was the second-hottest year in recorded history.
“Every decade since the 1960s has been warmer than the decade previously, and not by a small amount,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City.
The year 2019 was the second warmest year in the 140-year record, with a global land and ocean surface temperature departure from average of +0.95°C (+1.71°F). This value is only 0.04°C (0.07°F) less than the record high value of +0.99°C (+1.78°F) set in 2016 and 0.02°C (0.04°F) higher than the now third-highest value set in 2015 (+0.93°C / +1.67°F).
The five warmest years in the 1880–2019 record have all occurred since 2015, while nine of the 10 warmest years have occurred since 2005.
The year 1998 currently ranks as the 10 warmest years on record. The year 2019 marks the 43rd consecutive year (since 1977) with global land and ocean temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th-century average.
The global annual temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.07°C (0.13°F) per decade since 1880 and over twice that rate (+0.18°C / +0.32°F) since 1981.
