2016 set to be world's hottest year on record: WMO

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on 21 July 2016 announced that global temperatures for the first six months of 2016 broke many records. It means that 2016 is on the track to be the world's hottest year on record. The WMO stated that Arctic Sea ice melted early and fast, which is another indicator of climate change. In addition, Carbon dioxide levels have also reached new highs.

Key facts announced by WMO

• June 2016 marked the 14th consecutive month of record heat for land and oceans and the 378th consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th century average.

• Carbon dioxide concentrations have passed the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere so far in 2016.

• Two separate reports from the U.S National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (NASA GISS) highlighted the dramatic and sweeping changes in the state of the climate.

• The average temperature in the first six months of 2016 was 1.3°C (2.4°F) warmer than the pre-industrial era in the late 19th century.

• NOAA said the global land and ocean average temperature for January 2016–June 2016 was 1.05°C (1.89°F) above the 20th century average.

• The El Niño event which developed in 2015 and was one of the most powerful on record contributed to the record temperatures in the first half of 2016.

• The extent of Arctic sea ice at the peak of the summer melt season now typically covers 40 percent less area than it did in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

• Rainfall in June 2016 was notably drier than normal across the western and central contiguous USA, Spain, northern Colombia, northeastern Brazil, Chile, southern Argentina, and parts of central Russia.

• Wetter-than-normal precipitation was observed across northern Argentina, northern and central Europe, Australia and across central and southern Asia.

• Temperatures in the Coral Sea (including the Great Barrier Reef), and the Tasman Sea were highest on record for extended periods since late summer 2016.