2018 Was Earth's Fourth-Hottest Year On Record, Scientists Say

"Once again, the world was unusually hot in 2018. In fact, on average it was the fourth-hottest year around the planet since modern record-keeping began in 1880."

"If a warming planet were an Olympic sport, fourth wouldn't make the podium. But consider the context: The hottest five years on record are, in fact, the last five years. The year 2016, which was 1.69 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th-century average, holds the top spot, with 2018 at 1.42 degrees F warmer."

"Gavin Schmidt, a climate scientist at NASA, says the message is clear: 'The planet is warming. The long-term trends are extremely robust. There's no question.' And the cause is clear too, he adds: 'It's because of the increases in the greenhouse gases that we put into the atmosphere over the last 100 years.'"

"The climate report is an annual summary of research compiled by scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The data are derived from both land-based and satellite monitoring, which Schmidt says is more accurate than ever."