The Earth just had its hottest September on record

The heat goes on.

The Earth just had its warmest September on record, tying a mark set in 2016, according to data released Friday by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, a European group that measures the planet's temperatures. 

Globally, September 2019 was roughly 1.02 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the average from 1981-2010, "making it the warmest September in our data record, although virtually on a par with 2016," the group said in a statement. 

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This year's warmth is occurring without the heat from a strong El Niño event in the tropical Pacific Ocean, according to the Capital Weather Gang. El Niño is a natural climate pattern that often boosts global temperatures by bringing more ocean heat to the surface and adding it to the atmosphere.