Data released from the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Climatic Data Center shows that June 2010 was a record breaker. It was the warmest month of June globally since record-taking began in 1880 and it is the 304th month in a row that has been above the 20th Century average. The last month to fall below the average was February 1985: the month Nelson Mandela, who recently celebrated his 92nd birthday, rejected an offer of freedom from the then apartheid government.

June averaged globally at 61.1 degrees Fahrenheit (16.2 degrees Celsius). The temperature was 1.22 degrees Fahrenheit (0.68 degrees Celsius) above the 20th century average for June. The uncharacteristically warm June is apart of a continuing trend this year that researchers say will likely push 2010 to be among the warmest since data-taking began. The hottest year recorded so far was 2005, while 2000-2009 was the hottest decade on record.

The warm temperatures last month also caused Arctic sea ice to hit its lowest average extent for that month, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Sea ice has been monitored by satellite since 1979.

Climate experts overwhelmingly say that the world is warming due to extensive greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

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