According to data released by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today, the globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for June 2014 was the highest for June since record keeping began in 1880.

This follows on from April and May 2014, being the hottest or equal hottest since reliable records allow the earth’s temperature to be taken.

NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, located in Asheville, North Carolina, maintains the world's largest climate data archive and provides climatological services and data to every sector of the United States economy and to users worldwide. Records in the archive range from paleoclimatology data to centuries-old journals to data less than an hour old.

According to NOAA scientists, the globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for June 2014 was the highest for June since record keeping began in 1880. It also marked the 38th consecutive June and 352nd consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The last below-average global temperature for June was in 1976 and the last below-average global temperature for any month was February 1985.

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. Similar to May, scattered sections across every major ocean basin were also record warm. Notably, large parts of the western equatorial and northeastern Pacific Ocean and most of the Indian Ocean were record warm or much warmer than average for the month. A few areas in North America, Far East Russia, and small parts of central and northeastern Europe were cooler or much cooler than average.

Ranyl Rhydwen, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and Adaptation to Climate Change at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales commented on the news:

 “The last time we saw three consecutive months break temperature records was in 2010 – the hottest year ever. To break long term records like this with the natural variability inherent in the climate system is incredible and the odds of such things if there were no human induced warming would be exceptional. In a warming world, record breaking years are becoming more common, these headlines are becoming increasingly familiar.”

“But that this year is breaking records is unexpected. One of the things that controls the natural variability in the climate is El Nino, which warms the surface temperature. El Nino events tend to start in the spring or summer, peak in December and last for about 10 months; but it is the year after they begin where they tend to cause the biggest temperature anomaly.”

“An El Niño is brewing but is not predicted to emerge until late summer this year. It is the year after the El Niño that is the hot year, yet this time round the El Niño forming year is already bringing exceptionally hot months, suggesting that 2015 could well be another record hot year – depending on how severe this EL Niño turns out to be. The current predictions are suggesting this El Niño will be at least as strong as in 2010.”

Click here to access NOAA’s Global Analysis for June 2014