NASA says July as hottest month on record since 1880

 NASA scientists say July was hotter than any other month in the global temperature record. 

Last month was 0.43 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than any other July in the agency's record. 

Additionally, an analysis from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York found it was 2.1 degrees warmer than the average July between 1951 and 1980. 

Parts of South America, North Africa, North America and the Antarctic Peninsula were especially hot, and temperature increases there were around 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit above average. 

NASA noted that extreme heat was linked to hundreds of heat-related illnesses and deaths with millions under heat warnings. 

It said data showed the five hottest Julys since 1880 have all happened during the past five years. 

This July was not just warmer than any previous July – it was the warmest month in our record, which goes back to 1880," GISS Director Gavin Schmidt said. "The science is clear this isn’t normal. Alarming warming around the world is driven primarily by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. And that rise in average temperatures is fueling dangerous extreme heat that people are experiencing here at home and worldwide."

The primary focus of the analysis was long-term temperature changes over decades and centuries.

The agency said a fixed base period yields anomalies consistent over time, with temperature "normals" defined by several decades.