Tuesday, January 10, 2017

NOAA: 2016 was second warmest year on record

Last year was the second warmest year on record, says a report released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA found that the average annual temperature was 54.9 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.9 degrees above average. The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service had called 2016 the warmest on record, finding its average to be 58.64 degrees, 0.36 degree higher than the record high set in 2015. Records have been kept for 122 years.

NOAA did find that weather and climate disasters in 2016 caused 138 deaths and $46 billion in damages. Overall, there were 15 weather and climate disasters in 2016, each causing more than $1 billion in damage. The total included eight severe storms, four inland floods, one hurricane and one drought and one wildfire that each affected multiple areas. (NOAA graphic: 2016 weather and climate disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage)

No comments: