Scientists Say 2015 Was The Hottest Year EVER (Video)

NASA and NOAA revealed on January 20th that the year 2015 had the hottest average global temperature since record keeping began in the year 1880. This new record means that 15 out of the 16 warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, providing still more evidence that Earth’s climate is changing due to warming temperatures.

Analysis of temperature data for 2015 was conducted independently by research teams at both NASA and NOAA, which use data from different sources. The two agencies say that there’s a 94% certainty that 2015 is the hottest year on record. According to the agencies, average global temperatures have increased 1.8 degrees F since the late 19th century and are 1.62 degrees F above the 20th century average.

Although this year’s El Niño shares some responsibility for the higher temperatures, NASA scientists state that 2015 temperatures are the result of a long-term trend.

“2015 was remarkable even in the context of the ongoing El Niño,” GISS Director Gavin Schmidt said in a statement. “Last year’s temperatures had an assist from El Niño, but it is the cumulative effect of the long-term trend that has resulted in the record warming that we are seeing.”

Across the Atlantic, the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (CRU) also announced today that they corroborate the findings of NASA and NOAA in calling 2015 the hottest year on record.