October 2001 was warmest on record for world, scientists say

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (CNN) -- October 2001 was the warmest October on record globally, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, calculated last month's climate conditions using the world's largest weather database.

The globally averaged October temperature was 58.2 degrees Fahrenheit, a full degree above the long-term mean for 1880 through 2000. October global temperatures have been above average in 23 of the past 25 years.

Global year-round temperatures are going up, as well. So far this year, the Earth's temperature is 0.9 degrees F above average, which makes 2001 the second warmest January-October on record.

During the past 100 years, global temperatures have risen by 1.0 degree F, with the rise more rapid during the past 25 years.

In the United States, temperatures for October 2001 ranked 38th highest since 1895, with above average temperatures in the Northeast and Southwest, but lower than average temperatures across the South and Alaska.