Two U.S. science agencies say 2021 was the sixth hottest year on record globally, part of a long-term warming trend.
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thursday released measurements showing how hot last year was.
It wasn't record hot, but the year's 58.5 degree average is not much behind the record.
The last eight years have been the eight hottest years on record.
Last year, 1.8 billion people in 25 Asian, African and Middle Eastern nations had their hottest years on record.
Scientists say heat-trapping gases from the burning of fossil fuels have warmed Earth about 2 degrees since the late 1800s.
The warming trend played a role in extreme weather events that occurred last year, too.
In the United States alone, there were 20 disasters that exceeded $1 billion in damage, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
One of the events that contributed to the damage was the Telegraph Fire in Gila County.
This, in combination with several large wildfires in the West, led to a staggering $10.6 billion in damage.
