Nov 18, 2010

2010 tied with 1998 as warmest year on record

03:59 PM

NOAA The heat goes on.

Based on data from January through October, 2010 is tied with 1998 as the warmest year on record, according to the National Climatic Data Center.

Through October, the global combined land and ocean surface temperature was 58.53 degrees. This value is 1.13 degrees above the 20th-century average.

Records go back to 1880.

With only a few exceptions, the warmth has been present over nearly the entire surface of the Earth in 2010, especially over North America, Africa and the Middle East (see map).

The warmth is occurring despite the cooling effects of La Nina, a periodic lowering of sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.

According to the Climate Prediction Center, moderate La Nina conditions continued in October. La Nina is expected to strengthen and last at least into the Northern Hemisphere spring of 2011.

The month of October was the 8th-warmest on record globally.

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