Climate experts have predicted that 2015 will be the hottest year ever recorded. This follows from findings that July was the hottest month on record, with temperatures in July 0.81C higher than previous averages.
Despite climate change sceptics proposing that global warming has stopped, these findings offer evidence to suggest that global warming is happening. Furthermore the process seems to be accelerating. The past five years have seen the three warmest years since records began, with nine out of the ten warmest years ever recorded having occurred in the 21st century.
With four months of temperature data still to be collected for this year, it is unusual for experts to make such bold claims. However the surge in current ocean temperatures have led to scientists being 99% certain that 2015 will be the hottest on record. Nothing short of a volcanic eruption of Krakatoa style proportions could impact on 2015's record breaking global temperatures.
Whilst there has been a noted increase in land temperatures it is our oceans temperatures that have proved to be the warmest yet. This increase in temperature can be attributed to two causes - man made climate change from the burning of fossil fuels and the El Niño effect. The El Niño effect in simple terms results in large areas of the Pacific ocean becoming warmer. This is a natural process of varying strength, but the current El Niño event may be one of the strongest ever recorded. Scientists believe the current El Niño climate event has played an important part in sea-surface temperature increases. This warming of the Pacific ocean causes a knock on effect that alters weather patterns around the globe.
The El Niño climate event currently happening is predicted to continue into Spring next year.
