July Hottest Month In 137 Years

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Augst,2016) : Soaring temperatures worldwide made July the hottest month in modern times, setting a new high mark for global heat in 137 years of record-keeping, said U.S.

based scientists. Scientists say the heating trend is being driven by fossil- fuel burning, and is made worse by the ocean warming phenomenon known as El Nino, which came to an end last month, reported a private news channel. July's global average of temperatures taken over land and ocean surfaces was the "highest for any month in the NOAA global temperature dataset record, which dates back to 1880." July 2016 was 1.57 degrees Fahrenheit (0.87 degree Celsius) above the 20th-century average, breaking last year's record for the warmest July on record by 0.11 degrees (0.06 C)." "July is typically the hottest month for the globe, and last month didn't disappoint," said a summary of the monthly report by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). July also marks the 15th consecutive month of breaking monthly temperature records, "the longest such streak in the 137- year record," NOAA said. The report found above-average warmth across most of the Earth, with new records observed in parts of Indonesia, and New Zealand, among other places.

Scorching temperatures were seen in the Persian Gulf, with several locations across Kuwait experiencing temperatures higher than 113 F (45 C) during July. "The highest maximum temperature during July 2016 was recorded in Mitribah, Kuwait when temperatures soared to 126.5 F (52.5 C) on July 22," it said. In Bahrain, the average temperature of 96.8 F (36 C) for the month was the nation's highest July temperature since national records began in 1902.

New Zealand, Spain and Hong Kong were also unusually warm. Places that saw near-average or cooler-than-normal temperatures last month included the northwestern United States, eastern Canada, southern South America, southwestern Australia, north central Russia, Kazakhstan, and India. Ocean temperatures were also at a record high, amid concerns that warming waters are contributing to the spread of coral bleaching worldwide. NOAA said the 13 highest monthly global ocean temperature departures have all occurred in the past 13 months.