If you felt August was hotter than ever, you were correct. New data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States found that this past August was the warmest worldwide since records began in 1881. Last May was also the warmest May in recorded history.
If the temperature trend continues, 2014 could turn out to be the hottest year on record planet-wide, exceeding 2010, which has been the hottest so far.
August's average temperature was about 0.8 degree Celsius above the average, with an average land and ocean surface temperature of 16.35 degrees Celsius, compared with the 20th-century average of 15.6 degrees.