The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States has confirmed that July broke the record set over a decade ago in 1998 for the warmest ocean surface temperature for the planet.
Measured against the 20th century average of 61.5 degrees F (16.4 degrees C), it constituted a rise of 1.06 degrees F (0.59 degree C).
The average global land and ocean surface temperature combined made July 2009 rank fifth- warmest on record. It saw a 1.03 degrees F (0.57 degree C) rise over the 20th century average temperature of 60.4 degrees F (15.8 degrees C).
As for the July land surface temperature, it tied with 2003 as the ninth- warmest on record, with the most notable above-average areas being in Europe, northern Africa, and much of western North America. Temperatures in these areas were approximately 4-7 degrees F (2-4 degrees C) above average.
However, across southern South America, Central Canada, the eastern United States, and parts of Asia, there were cooler-than-average temperatures.
Scientists also predict major loss of Arctic sea ice this year, as July saw a 12.7 per cent drop from the 1979-2000 average extent, and measured in at 3.4 million square miles. Should this trend continue, some experts believe ice-free Arctic summers could be a reality within a decade.
