July 2016 hottest month in recorded history, NASA says

Record-breaking temperatures reminder that climate change is happening

Climate scientist Gavin Schmidt tweeted this graph showing the rising temperatures (source: Twitter @ClimateOfGavin)
Climate scientist Gavin Schmidt tweeted this graph showing the rising temperatures (source: Twitter @ClimateOfGavin)

A wake-up call for mankind as data compiled by NASA shows that last month was the hottest month since records began in 1880, exceeding last year's record-breaking temperatures.

The temperature record for each month has also been broken, for the past 14 months, says the US space agency.

NASA's results, which combine sea surface temperature and air temperature on land, showed July 2016 was 0.84C hotter than the 1951 to 1980 average for July, and 0.11C hotter than the previous record set in July 2015.

Climate scientists say the effects of the El Niño are responsible for a small part of the rise but the main cause of the soaring temperatures is man-made.