July has officially become the hottest month in recorded history.
According to NASA, July 2016 was 0.84 C warmer than the 1950-1980 global average. That's about 0.18 degrees warmer than the previous record of July 2011 and July 2015, which were so close they were said to be in a tie for the hottest month on record.
Environment Canada agrees, saying the last 14 months have been warmer than normal for most of the nation.
“We can say this past July was in fact the warmest month in recorded history. We have observations that go back to 1880, and never have human beings lived through a warmer year,” says Climatologist David Phillips.
The reason? Phillips says climate change is the likely cause.
“A lot of people are suggesting that it is climate change – the fact that the world is warmer. We’re living through warmer times. We can’t go back and say it was ‘Super El Nino.’”
Georgia Tech climate scientist Kim Cobb said this is significant "because global temperatures continue to warm even as a record-breaking El Nino event has finally released its grip."
NASA's five hottest months on record are July 2016, July 2011, July 2015, July 2009 and August 2014. Only July 2015 was during an El Nino.
But will this trend continue into the winter? Phillips doesn’t think so. In fact he says the region will see the opposite: a snowier and colder winter.
“This winter will be tougher than last winter. Colder and snowier, but that’s not saying a lot,” he says.
“It could still be above normal, but it just won’t be as balmy and open as what we saw last winter.”
With files from The Associated Press.
