Data from Nasa and the UK Met Office shows temperatures were about 0.07 degrees Celsius above the 2015 mark.
Although the Met Office increase was within the margin of error, Nasa says that 2016 was the third year in a row to break the record.
The El Niño weather phenomenon played a role, say scientists, but the main factor was human emissions of CO2.
The latest conclusions won't come as a much of a shock to observers, as the likely outcome was trailed heavily towards the end of last year.
So warm was the early part of 2016 - influenced by a powerful El Niño - that some leading climate scientists were predicting as early as May that a new record was probable.
During an El Niño, a band of unusually warm ocean water develops in parts of the Pacific. The phenomenon affects the climate globally, disrupting weather patterns.
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Today’s Guardian (22 DEC 2016) reports Obama’s ban on Arctic drilling, sea-ice meltdown in Arctic Russian ports, killer coal-fired smog poisoning 460 million Chinese, and Demented Donald ranting against Scottish wind-power. Will he insist on coal-powered cars? With CO2 at 400 parts per million (Royal Society, October 2016) it is no longer if, but when, the polar ice will melt. James Hansen, ex-Director of NASA calculates sea-level-rise of 64 metres (213 ft). My London novel, Out of the Depths, spells out the probable appalling consequences for humankind. It is the greatest and, I think, an immediate threat to civilisation; it will create 5 billion refugees from the coastal plains. Governments must act – now.
Joyeux
Noel
Noel HODSON - Author
Sci-Fi & Socio-Economics
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