JAMESTOWN – Our planet just had its hottest January on record.
In the 141 years of global climate records, January 2020 was the hottest ever on record. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this week that it was the 44th consecutive January with temperatures above the 20th century average, 53.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s the latest in a string of climate records set in recent years. NOAA reports earth’s four hottest Januaries have all occurred in the last four years.
Record-warm temperatures were seen in Scandinavia, Asia, and Central and South America. In fact, there were no record cold temperatures for January reported anywhere in the world.
There was less polar ice than normal for January, and less snow cover in general.
In the northern hemisphere, that translates into temperatures being about 2.7 degrees above normal for January.
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