NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Wednesday that 2016 is officially the hottest year on record. That makes the third consecutive year that the previous record temperatures were surpassed; 2014 and 2015 were also declared the hottest years on record upon their conclusion.
The average surface temperatures recorded in 2016 were 0.07 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than 2015's temperatures, The Washington Post reported, and each month from January through August was successively the warmest on record.
NASA and the NOAA are the nation's leading scientific agencies. On Wednesday, Scott Pruitt, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, said during his Senate confirmation hearing that he does not believe climate change is a hoax after Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) asked him about NASA and the NOAA's announcement.
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