The planet continues to set global temperature records and not in a good way. According to the United Kingdom’s Met Office, the Earth’s surface temperature will reach 1°C above pre-industrial levels this year for the first time.

The Met Office’s Hadley Center for Climate Science, in conjunction with the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit, based its estimate on temperatures from January through September, which show the global mean surface temperature at 1.02°C above pre-industrial levels. The margin of error for this temperature measurement is 0.11°C.

The peak in global temperatures this year is being partially driven by the development of a very strong El Niño in the Tropical Pacific Ocean. Human activity, however, remains the underlying driver according to scientists. "We've had similar natural events in the past, yet this is the first time we're set to reach the 1°C marker and it's clear that it is human influence driving our modern climate into uncharted territory," said Stephen Belcher, Director of the Met Office Hadley Center.

Climate scientists use temperature anomalies rather than absolute temperatures because these anomalies more accurately describe variability over larger areas and because it is easier to gauge temperature trends. The Met Office defines “pre-industrial” as the period of 1850 to 1900. Although some industrialization had occurred by this time, earlier temperature records are less reliable

NOAA, which maintains its own climate database, compares present-day temperatures to the period of 1900 to 2000. According to its data based on the first nine months of 2015, the global temperature was 0.85°C above the 20th century average. Both agencies will publish final data on 2015 temperatures early next year.