Last nine years among 10 hottest ever

Swathes of the United States and Canada endured record-setting heat on June 27, 2021, forcing schools and Covid-19 testing centres to close. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP

The nine years spanning 2013-2021 all rank among the 10 hottest on record, according to an annual report by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published recently, the latest data underscoring the global climate crisis.

For 2021, the average temperature across global surfaces was 1.51ºF (0.84ºCe) above the 20th-century average, making the year the sixth-hottest in the overall record, which goes back to 1880.