According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the past April was the warmest globally since record taking began in the late 19th Century. Combining both land and ocean temperatures, the NOAA recorded that April 2010 was 0.76 degrees Celsius (1.37 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th Century average.
Particularly warm areas on land included South Asia, northern Africa, Canada, Alaska, the Eastern US, northern Russia, and Australia.
The NOAA also reports that Arctic sea ice was below normal for the 11th April in a row. Measurements found that the sea ice was 2.1 percent below the 1975-2000 average, yet was the largest since 2001.
If trends continue, 2010 could become the warmest year on record. To date, according to NOAA data, 2010 has proven to be the warmest January-April yet. The past decade, from 2000-2009, was the warmest on record.
Scientists say that the world is currently undergoing warming due to carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, such as burning fossils, deforestation, and land use changes.
Image courtesy of NOAA.
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