October was easily the warmest on record; 2015 could be warmest year

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- October 2015 was the warmest October on record, new data show, and the month's temperatures are are on course to likely make it the warmest year on record.

Last month was the warmest by far -- almost .34 degrees Fahrenheit warmer according to Japan Meteorological Agency's analysis and 0.32 degree in NASA's analysis. Those numbers and others were the highest in the 135 years since records have been kept, NOAA's Global Analysis said.

Other data showed the departure in average temperature was the highest for any month as well. With a 1.04-degree Celsius increase, it was the first time a fluctuation has ever been more than 1 degree Celsius. Previously, the greatest anomaly was 0.97 Celsius in January 2007.

Meanwhile, the combined average temperature of land and sea surfaces for the month was the highest on record. The temperatures were nearly a full 2 degrees warmer at 1.76 degrees Fahrenheit above the average of 57.1 degrees Fahrenheit for the 20th Century.

Land temperatures have broken records for six consecutive months and El Nino conditions have helped raise ocean surface temperatures by 1.53 degrees Fahrenheit over the 20th Century's average temperature of 60.6 degrees.

The Indian Ocean, parts of the Pacific Ocean, the central Atlantic Ocean and parts of the Arctic Sea all had above normal ocean surface temperatures. However, parts of the Atlantic Ocean off Greenland and South America were much cooler than usual.

Australia reported temperatures more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, an anomaly greater than the record set in Sept. 2013. New Zealand reported temperatures 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, and Norway reported temperatures 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.