WMO: Globally averaged temperature reaches highest on record in H1

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday said the globally averaged temperatures over land and ocean surfaces for the January to June period in 2015, as well as for the month of June, were the hottest on temperature record dating back to 1880.

"Most of the world's land areas were much warmer than average. These regions include nearly all of Eurasia, South America, Africa, and western North America, with pockets of record warmth across these areas. All of Australia was warmer than average," Clare Nullis, WMO spokeswomen told a press conference.

According to statistics from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average temperature was 0.85 Celsius degrees above the 20th century average of 15.5 C, surpassing the previous record set in 2010 by 0.09 C.

Meanwhile, the combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for June 2015 was the highest for June on record, at 0.88 C above the 20th century average of 15.5 C.

Nullis noted June 2015 marked the third month this year that has broken its monthly temperature record, along with March and May, adding "the other months of 2015 were not far behind, January and February were each second warmest for their respective months and April was fourth warmest."

In addition, the average Arctic sea ice extent for June was 7.7 percent below the 1981-2010 average, marking third smallest June extent since records began in 1979. Endit