September sets year's 7th global heat record
This past September was the hottest ever worldwide - the seventh monthly record set this year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculated a global temperature for September of 60.62 degrees (15.9 degrees Celsius), beating the record set in 2014.
Seven of the nine months this year have broken monthly global heat records, tying 1998 for the most monthly heat records broken. This year, only January and April did not surpass records going back to 1880.
Climate scientists blame man-made global warming and El Nino.
This is has been the hottest first nine months of any year. NOAA climate scientist Jessica Blunden said it would take a highly unlikely cold stretch the rest of the year for 2015 not to pass 2014 as the hottest on record.
In the contiguous 48 states, the average temperature was 68.5 degrees F, nearly 4 degrees above the 20th century average, making it the second-hottest on record. Only September 1998 was warmer for the Lower 48, NOAA reported. Thirty states saw above average temperatures, with nine states in the Northeast, Midwest, and Southwest setting new heat records for the month.