Publication Date March 21, 2016 | The Guardian

Current record-shattering temperatures are shocking even to climate scientists

February 2016 global surface temperature anomalies. Image: NASA GISS
February 2016 global surface temperature anomalies. Image: NASA GISS

“Stunning,” “wow,” “shocker,” “bombshell,” “astronomical,” “insane,”“unprecedented”– these are some of the words climate scientists have used to describe the record-shattering global surface temperatures in February 2016.  Right now, the Earth’s average surface temperature is hotter than it’s been in thousands of years; potentially even longer