2018 was world's fourth hottest year on record, scientists confirm

• World 1.5F hotter than average set between 1951 and 1980
• Current five-year stretch the warmest since records began

Global temperatures in 2018 were the fourth warmest on record, US government scientists have confirmed, adding to a stretch of five years that are now collectively the hottest period since modern measurements began.

The world in 2018 was 1.5F (0.83C) warmer than the average set between 1951 and 1980, said Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). This means 2018's average global temperatures were the fourth warmest since 1880, placing it behind 2016, 2017 and 2015.