Global Temperature: December 2014 was the Third Highest on Record for December in the 135-Year Period of Record
According to the NOAA Climate National Climate Data Center, The December 2014 average combined global land and ocean surface temperature was record high in the 135-year period of record, at 0.77°C (1.39°F) above the 20th century average of 12.2°C (54.0°F).
The December 2014 globally-averaged land surface temperature was the third highest on record, at 1.36°C (2.45°F) above average. Across the globe, warmer-than-average temperatures were observed across nearly all of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia. The highest temperature anomalies (more than 5°C / 9°F above the 1981–2010 average) were observed in parts of Alaska and Siberia.
For the oceans, the globally-averaged temperature anomaly of +0.55°C (+0.99°F) was the third highest on record for December, marking the end of a seven-month streak (May–November) of record high monthly temperatures. (Read More)