November and 2020 year to date rank 2nd hottest on record for globe

December 15, 2020 – November and the 2020 year to date rank second hottest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Earth’s temperature in November was 13.87 degrees Celsius, which was 0.97 degrees above the 20th century average.

NOAA’s calculations show that the first 11 months of 2020 were 0.01 degrees Celsius cooler than record-hot 2016, but there’s a 55 percent chance that 2020 will end up the warmest on record.

If December is as much above normal as November was, then 2020 will at least tie 2016 as the warmest on record, NOAA climate scientist Ahira Sanchez-Lugo said.

For its part, NASA said 2020 so far is the warmest on record and it’s likely to stay that way. Using NASA data, if December is just 0.33 degrees Celsius above the 1980 to 2010 average, 2020 should be the hottest year on record.

NASA and NOAA records go back to 1880. Emissions from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas cause the planet to warm.