Don’t believe the polar vortex hype. 2014 was the warmest year on record, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Friday.
The previous warmest year on record had been 2010, but the average temperature in 2014 was 0.5 degrees (Fahrenheit) higher. In fact, the average temperature for 2014 was 1.80 degrees (Fahrenheit) higher than the 20th-century average.
New York bucked the trend though: Record warmth was recorded all over the globe except in the eastern United States.
The sea surface temperatures also rose, with the average temperature being 1.03 degrees (Fahrenheit) more than the 20th century average. It was the fourth-highest record temperatures since 1880, when temperatures were first recorded.
December in particular felt the warmth. Temperatures in December were 1.39 degrees (Fahrenheit) higher than the 20th century average, surpassing the previous record year 2006.
