Environment
This Was the Warmest August in Known History
Much of this worrisome heat is coming from the oceans.
For those who thought their brows were extra sweaty last month, it was no illusion: The world just experienced the warmest August since bookkeeping started in 1880.
The temperatures for sea and land surfaces averaged 61.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 1.4 degrees above the historical monthly average, according to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. For those keeping score, this means that nine of the warmest-known Augusts have now occurred in the new millennium. This was also the 38th August in a row with global temperatures exceeding the 20th-century average. (Ah, for the cool, refreshing weather of 1976!)