Miami has been pretty damn hot. In fact, a University of Miami scientist says it's been the hottest year in recorded history.
Brian McNoldy, a senior research associate at the Rosenstiel School (and a passionate meteorologist: "I just like local weather," he says), frequently pores over South Florida historical weather data to keep an eye on patterns and trends.
He's been measuring throughout the year, and several weeks ago — after a stifling summer — he realized Miami was on track to have its warmest first nine months of a year since 1908, when reliable records began.
He waited until the end of September "to make it official, and sure enough," he says, the record held, with an average mean temperature of 79.4 degrees. That temp beat out 2011, the next highest temperature recorded.
More striking than this year's record, though, is actually the consistent upward trend over the past century, McNoldy says.
"In general, the globe has been warming over that period. We're no exception," he says of Miami.
In fact, the same trend McNoldy noted locally is likely to hold around the world. July was the hottest July ever recorded, and scientists believe 2015 will end up the warmest global year on record.
“I would say [we’re] 99 percent certain that it’s going to be the warmest year on record,” Jessica Blunden, a climate scientist with ERT Inc. at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told reporters in August.
The previous record-holder for warmest year in history was 2014.
Here's a chart of the historical weather patterns, from McNoldy's Twitter page:
Hottest year on record so far in #Miami! #FLwx #climate @UMiamiRSMAS pic.twitter.com/aagzXpeuQ6
— Brian McNoldy (@BMcNoldy) October 1, 2015
