2018 was Earth's fourth-hottest year: Report

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - The year 2018 was the fourth hottest year since records began, a research group concluded Thursday.

The study was conducted by Berkeley Earth, an independent organization focused on temperature analysis for climate science. They have been conducting analyses for global average temperatures since 2013.

While the average temperature was lower than the previous three years, 2018 was still warmer than any previously recorded year prior to 2015, remaining consistent with the long-term trend of global warming, according to the study.

The average global temperature for 2018 was 1.16 degrees Celsius (2.09 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the average temperature from 1850 to 1900, the "pre-industrial baseline for global temperature targets".

"Though 2018 only ranks fourth overall, 2015 through 2018 still stands out as a period of significant warmth well above all previous years since 1850. This reflects the long-term trend towards global warming," the report said.

It said 2016 remains the hottest year ever recorded, largely caused by El Nino, a climate phenomenon which raised temperatures in the equatorial Pacific region.

Berkeley Earth's report was corroborated by earlier data submitted by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, a European Union body, and the United Nations’ weather body the World Meteorological Organization.