Americans kept complaining of hot weather in the United States. And yes, it was finally declared by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that the US witnessed the second-hottest year on record in 2015.
NOAA also believes that a major boost to this effect was provided by the incredible warmth across the eastern half of the US in December.
The year 2015 is also being hailed as one of the costliest years for climate and weather-related disasters. Last year US saw 10 extreme weather and climate events, droughts and storms, each of which led to damage of over 1 billion dollar.
The warmest year since 1895 in the US is 2012 when the average temperature was 12.9°C (55.3°F). Last year nearly missed the highest average and recorded 12.4°C (54.4°F). The report from NOAA shows that the temperature was nearly 2.5°F (1.4°C) above the average 20th-century temperature. Last year was also the 19th consecutive year where the annual average US temperature exceeded its 20th-century average.
Florida and much of the western states, including Washington and Oregon, recorded above normal annual temperatures. In fact, none of the states were actually cooler than average during 2015.
Click here to get the latest updates on US weather
US also witnessed the third wettest year on record in 2015. Heavy precipitation triggering floods in Oklahoma and Texas contributed much to this.
Scientists believe that climate change and El Nino, a global climate phenomenon, have contributed to this mild weather in US.
Image Credit - The Guardian
