2016 set to be hottest year on record

Analysts warn that global average temperatures in 2016 are likely to be the warmest on record. The strong El Niño event of 2015-16 has had an impact, but the main factor driving temperatures up continues to be CO2 emissions

0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 -0.1 -0.2 -0.3
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

TEMPERATURE ANOMALY (°C)
Relative to 1961-90 average

2016: Global temperatures for January to September were 0.88oC above average, 0.11oC above record set last year, and about 1.2oC above pre-industrial levels

El Niño
La Niña
Neutral

2000-2016: Sixteen of 17 hottest years have been recorded this century

Paris Climate Agreement, backed by almost 200 nations including U.S. but rejected by President-elect Donald Trump, has overriding goal of keeping global temperature increase “well below” 2C above pre-industrial times

Source: World Meteorological Organization

Picture: Associated Press, Getty Images