2020: The Second Hottest Year on Earth

(9 February 2021) 2020 was the second hottest year on Earth since the 1880s, according to the 2020 Global Climate Report from The National Centers for Environmental Information.

• For the northern hemisphere, the 2020 land and ocean surface temperature was the highest ever recorded in the 141-year reporting history at +1.28°C (+2.30°F) above average. This was 0.06°C (0.11°F) higher than the previous record set in 2016.
• The southern hemisphere was hot last year as well, reporting the fifth highest land and ocean surface temperature on record.