WASHINGTON: Last month was the hottest June since record-keeping began in 1880, according to a monthly report out Monday by US government climate scientists.

The combined average temperature over land and ocean surfaces was a “record high for the month at 61.20 Fahrenheit (16.22 Celsius),” said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

That meant June was a total of 1.300F (0.720C) warmer than the 20th century average for the month, surpassing the last record high temperature for June set in 2010, said NOAA.

Taken alone, the ocean’s global surface temperature in June was the highest for any month on record, breaking the past record set in 1998, NOAA added.

“Most of the world experienced warmer-than-average monthly temperatures, with record warmth across part of southeastern Greenland, parts of northern South America, areas in eastern and central Africa, and sections of southern and southeastern Asia,” NOAA said in a statement.

“Similar to May, scattered sections across every major ocean basin were also record warm.” Sea ice in the Arctic declined faster than normal for June, and was nearly five percent below the 1981-2010 average, NOAA said.

The findings are part of an ongoing trend of rising global temperatures.

June has been warmer than the 20th century average for 38 years in a row, the agency said.

Its report last month also found that May was a record-setter, also topping the previous high set in 2010.

The last time June broke records for being cooler than normal was in 1976.—AFP

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2014