Last month was the hottest January ever

Last month was the hottest January ever
recorded, the ninth straight month to
break such a record, government
scientists said Wednesday.
The average temperature around the
globe was 1.87°F (1.04°C) higher than
the 20th century average of 53.6°F
(12.0°C) in January, according to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) report. That’s
0.29°F (0.16°C) warmer than the
previous January record set in 2007.
The record heat comes as little surprise
to climatologists . The ongoing El Niño
climate pattern , potentially the strongest
on record, and continuing climate
change both led scientists to predict last
fall that 2016 would be the warmest
year on record. El Niño is expected to
weaken during spring or summer,
according to NOAA.