Year 2017 was the third-warmest year on record for the globe, behind 2016 (first) and 2015, according to the 28th annual State of the Climate report.
The planet also experienced record-high greenhouse gas concentrations as well as rises in sea level.
The annual checkup for the planet, led by scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, is based on contributions from more than 500 scientists in 65 countries and offers insight on global climate indicators, extreme weather events and other valuable environmental data.
"Heat in the upper ocean hit a record high, reflecting the continued accumulation of thermal energy in the uppermost 2,300 feet of the world’s oceans. Sea surface temperatures hit a near-record high. Though the global average sea surface temperature in 2017 was slightly below the 2016 value, the long-term trend remained upward," the report found.
"Levels of greenhouse gases were the highest on record. Major greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere – including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide – reached new record highs. The 2017 average global CO2 concentration was 405 parts per million, the highest measured in the modern 38-year global climate record and records created from ice-core samples dating back as far as 800,000 years."