The Beat and Heat Goes on: NOAA Says July Hottest on Record

July was the 15th month in a row to break its temperature record, the longest string of record-breaking heat in NOAA’s catalog.

Even after the fading of a strong El Nino, which spikes global temperatures on top of man-made climate change, July burst global temperature records.

Last month’s temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.57 Fahrenheit above the 20th century average of 60.4 degrees F (15.8 Celsius).

Image: This map shows how temperatures across the globe differed from average in July 2016. By NASAs reckoning, it was 1.27°F (0.84°C) hotter than the 1951-1980 average. It was 1.9°F (1.06°C) hotter than the 1951-1980 average according to NASA, which is 0.45°F (0.25°C) ahead of the same time past year. Forecasters expect a La Niña to form, which tends to mean a relative cooling of global temperatures.

Data from both NOAA and NASA indicate the Earth is well on its way to its warmest year on record, so brace yourself for the rest of August.

This July was also the hottest month on record for the world, confirmed a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Wednesday. The two datasets are averaged and then compared to the average from 1881-1910, a baseline closer to the preindustrial period.

Good news, friends: July, the month traditionally known for being stuffed full of pool parties, BBQs, and celebrations of our great nation (if you are an American), was officially LIT AF.

Scientists say the heating trend is being driven by fossil-fuel burning, and is made worse by the ocean warming phenomenon known as El Nino, which came to an end last month. The average has since come down slightly, following the slight drop in monthly anomalies, though is still well above 2015 and indicative of the long-term trend in warming. There is a 99 percent chance that 2016 will beat an annual heat record, according to Gavin Schmidt, PhD, a climatologist with NASA. Ouch. NASA calculates that just Earth broiled to its hottest month in recorded history: last July. How much in favor?

The July heat was experienced differently across the globe but was felt to some degree nearly everywhere.