The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that July 2015 was the warmest month in the hottest year the Earth has ever seen. In addition, there has been an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves, especially in Europe and the Middle East. The El Niño phenomenon, which brings warm water to the surface of the ocean, reemerged in June and is likely to continue into spring 2016. This contributes to the rise in average temperature. Compared to the 20th century average temperatures, 2015’s temperatures were 0.85º C warmer. At the end of 2015, diplomats will negotiate a climate agreement in Paris that will limit temperature increases to less than 2º C by 2100. See:http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/web/2015/08/Earths-Average-Temperature-Continues-Rise.html
