April was the warmest such month on record for the globe, and yet again, we saw a near-record large margin compared to average, according to NASA data released Saturday.
The record all but assures that 2016 will set another milestone for the warmest calendar year in NASA's database, regardless of whether the rest of this year sees comparatively cooler global temperatures.
During each of the past seven months, global average surface temperatures have exceeded the 20th century average by more than 1 degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Until October, that 1-degree threshold had not been crossed since NASA's global temperature records began in 1880.
SEE ALSO:March was Earth's 11th-straight warmest month on recordThis is particularly relevant since the Paris Agreement on climate change specifies that countries should work to keep human-caused global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels by the year 2100.
Tweet may have been deleted
In addition, the agreement contains language referring to the need to limit global warming to as low as 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, above the preindustrial average.
The temperature records that have toppled during the past year have shown just how close we already are to these climate guardrails.
If global warming shoots past the 2-degree target, experts fear a runaway cascade of dire consequences, from a sharp increase in sea level due to the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and loss of much of West Antarctica to the mass extinction of climate-sensitive species.
According to NASA, April had a temperature anomaly of 1.11 degrees Celsius, or 1.99 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 20th century average, which means the month tied with January for the third-most unusually mild month ever recorded.
The top two spots on that list are occupied by February and March, respectively.
The second-warmest April on record was in 2010, when the temperature anomaly was a comparatively paltry 0.87 degrees Celsius, or 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
On Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which also tracks global temperatures, backed up NASA in finding that April was the warmest such month on record.
The JMA found that the global average surface temperature anomaly for the month was 0.54 degrees Celsius, or 0.97 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 1981-2010 average. This made it the warmest April since JMA records began in 1891, the agency said on its website.
Temperature anomalies during the month of April 2016 compared to the same month during previous years.Credit: JMAThe JMA also found that April 2016 easily outpaced the previous warmest April, which occurred in 2010 and also in 1998, by 0.23 degrees Celsius, or 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The unusual April warmth was most pronounced across the Arctic, from Siberia to Greenland and Alaska. Southeast Asia experienced deadly heat waves occurring in Thailand and India, among other nations.
Other climate monitoring tools have shown that Arctic sea ice is precariously sparse and thin for this time of year, potentially setting the stage for another record melt season by the end of the summer.
Computer model analysis of April temperature anomalies.Credit: Weatherbell analyticsThe world was already setting more and more warm temperature records without the El Niño's assistance, but what El Niño has done is dial up the already elevated temperatures to damaging levels.
Although El Niño conditions are still present in the tropical Pacific, forecasts call for a La Niña event to develop by the fall. This will tend to dampen the release of heat from a vast swath of the tropical Pacific Ocean, and may put an end to the parade of record warm months.
However, over the long run, global warming will continue as long as greenhouse gas concentrations keep rising. The level of carbon dioxide, which is the main long-lived greenhouse gas, in the Earth's atmosphere also hit a record high.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
(责任编辑：時尚)
Fake news reports from the Newseum are infinitely better than actual newsGoogle lets you create a sticker version of yourself with selfiesWhat's coming to (and going from) Netflix in August 2018LG V40 is coming on Oct. 3Fyvush Finkel, Emmy winner for 'Picket Fences,' dies at 93PlayStation Now game streaming is coming to PC
Sony's PlayStation Now service is launching for Windows PC, meaning subscribers will soon be able to
...[详细]10 years later, a look back at 'Step Brothers'
"I’m fucking miserable. I had to get up at 10 o’clock this morning."
。 If that quote ring
...[详细]Diane Keaton's Instagram account is a national treasure
Diane Keaton brings iconic style to every aspect of her life, whether it be acting, writing, or fash
...[详细]The White House can't even spell the United States properly
It's not the coolest thing to rag on people for their spelling, but there are some people we have to
...[详细]One of the first Apple computers ever made is currently up for auction.A rare "Celebration" Apple-1
...[详细]BBC presenter's family pay hugely loving Twitter tribute following her death
BBC presenter Rachael Bland spent the last two years of her life working to help others cope with ca
...[详细]'Fortnite' for Android could be a security nightmare
Fortnite 。, the year’s hottest video game, is finally making its way to Android devices. Howeve
...[详细]Kim Kardashian's bizarre Yeezy photo shoot was made for memes
Kim Kardashian's no stranger to photo shoots, but her latest didn't go over so well with fans. 。On Mo
...[详细]U.S. government issues warning on McDonald's recalled wearable devices
Last week's McDonald's debacle, which saw the fast food giant forced to recall its first wearable tr
...[详细]'Mission: Impossible' led to another round of headaches for MoviePass
UPDATE:The situation with MoviePass has gotten even more precarious since this post published on Mon
...[详细]5 people Tim Cook calls for advice on running the biggest company in the world
If you must upgrade from the iPhone X, the iPhone XR is the most interesting option