This past July was the hottest month — of any month — on record.
NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies issued a report Tuesday saying that temperatures for the month just edged out 2015's record-setting July temperature by 0.1 degrees Celsius. Other high temperatures were in 2009 and 2011.
That continues a 10-month streak of record-breaking year-over-year temperatures, beginning in October 2015. Every month since then has surpassed record temperatures for that time of year.
"It wasn't by the widest of margins, but July 2016 was the warmest month since modern record keeping began in 1880," said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. "It appears almost a certainty that 2016 also will be the warmest year on record."
The monthly averages are compiled using data from 6,300 meteorological stations around the world, sea surface temperatures taken by ships and buoys, and Antarctic research stations.