2014 was the hottest year on record

Credit: UK Met Office data plotted by Carbon Brief

2014 was the hottest year on record.

Until 2015 – figures just released show that 2015 was the hottest year on record, by the largest margin on record.

And 2016 looks set to top 2015.

http://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-how-2015-became-the-hottest-year-on-record

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2016/2015-global-temperature

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/summary-info/global/201512

http://csas.ei.columbia.edu/2016/01/19/global-temperature-in-2015/ / 2015 year topped chart warmest year modern record data released today world top meteorological agencies global temperature 2015 0.75C above 1961-1990 long-term average full 1C above preindustrial times official figures UK Meteorological Office Met Office rising greenhouse gases small contribution El Niño in the Pacific combined cause record temperatures 2015 Met Office Prof Adam Scaife Carbon Brief unlikely to be any respite scientists expect 2016 even warmer than 2015 El Niño El Nino contribute 25% most likely new record global temperature 2016 two major US meteorological agencies NASA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA confirmed 2015 warmest year on record Dr Gavin Schmidt Director NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies 2015 remarkable context larger long-term warming trend joint summary head of NASA GISS Dr James Hansen 2015 global temperature smashed the prior record should practically terminate discussion of any slowdown in the pace of global warming global average surface temperatures three major global datasets 1961-1990 average Met Office University of East Anglia NASA NOAA Rosamund Pearce Carbon Brief world’s major meteorological organisations calculate global average surface temperature how the world responding greenhouse gas emissions before the end of 2015 hottest year on record by quite some margin UN climate talks in Paris World Meteorological Organisation WMO first year to see global temperatures rise 1C above preindustrial levels Met Office predicted end of 2014 2015 would be among the hottest years on record global temperature above the 1961-1990 average observed temperature anomaly 0.75C upper end of that range 2015 was the hottest year on record most remarkable is how much hotter it has been levels of confidence measuring global temperature complicated scientists estimates range possible temperatures either side central figure reflect that uncertainty 2015’s global temperature 0.75C above the 1961-1990 long-term average scientists Met Office 1961-1990 baseline preindustrial level preindustrial 1850-1900 average temperature rankings what matters difference between individual years more or less than range of uncertainty more scientists can be confident warmer than the other Prof Tim Osborn University of East Anglia HadCRUT4 global temperature record most complete representation available various sources of error confidently say that 2015 was the warmest HadCRUT4 longest of the three major global time series extending back to 1850 Met Office Climatic Research Unit CRU University of East Anglia graph global temperatures associated uncertainty ranges HadCRUT4 since 2000 2015 next warmest year in 2014 0.18C typical uncertainty of 0.1C 2015 warmest year on record temperature 2015 is the warmest year on record Dr Thomas Karl director NOAA’s National Climatic Data Centre 2015 is the hottest year on record understanding climate change long-term trend relative warmth of individual years huge El Niño event in the Pacific contributed to record warmth in 2015 far stronger impact in 2016 El Niño extreme weather El Niño symptom of the long term warming trend scientists 2015 global temperature natural fluctuations climate can amplify dampen warming signal huge El Niño in the Pacific biggest on record record warmth in 2015 scientists 10 out of the 12 months in 2015 either tied with or broke previous records NASA and NOAA’s joint analysis El Niño Prof Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office El Niño current spell of record-topping warmth scientists impact of El Niño on global temperature historical observational record extends back more than a century theoretical computer models simulate even longer periods calculate what happens to global temperature El Niño La Niña winter El Niño peak big effect on global temperature heat to increase ocean basins around the world global temperature record temperature in 2015 record global temperatures in 2015 human activity was the biggest driver of 2015’s record temperature due to greenhouse gas emissions of human origin climate change global warming /