How did January 2018 rank in terms of global temperatures?
Both NOAA and NASA GISS have released their global surface temperature anomaly data for January 2018.
<strong>NOAA</strong>
January 2018 averaged 0.71 of a degree Celsius above the 20th century average for global land/ocean surface combined, making January 2018 the 5th warmest January on record.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2018/590x416_02211702_noaaglobjan.jpg"/>
This is the 42nd consecutive January and 397th consecutive month where global temperatures were higher than the 20th century average.
The last four years rank among the five warmest Januarys on record.
This was the warmest January on record for New Zealand. Records go back to 1909.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2018/590x380_02211704_noaaglobejanchart.jpg"/>
The world's oceans had their 5th warmest January on record, which is pretty amazing under La Nina conditions. January 2018 actually tied January 1998 for 5th warmest . Strong El Nino conditions were ongoing during January 1998. Clearly, natural phenomena such as ENSO cannot explain the global warming trend.
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<strong>NASA GISS</strong>
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2018/590x380_02211708_gissglobaljanmap.png"/>
January 2018 also ranked as the 5th warmest January on record globally, averaging 0.78 of a degree Celsius above the 1951-1980 mean.
<img src="https://vortex.accuweather.com/adc2004/pub/includes/columns/climatewx/2018/590x336_02211709_globalt_1880-1920basenasachart.png"/>
**Images courtesy NOAA and NASA GISS.
