July the hottest month in history

July 2015 was the hottest month on Earth since records began, according to scientists at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Global temperatures for the month averaged 16.6°C (61.9°F), which is 0.08 degrees higher than the July 1998 record.

The data has been released in a new report by NOAA that also estimates that 2015 will be the hottest year on record.

The NOAA report also found that nine of the 10 hottest months since records began in 1880 have occurred since 2005.

Scientists blame climate change and the impacts of the El Nino weather system for the record temperatures and the first half of 2015 has already set an all-time temperature record.

Jake Crouch, physical scientist at NOAA's National Centres for Environmental Information, said: "The world is warming. It is continuing to warm. That is being shown time and time again in our data… Now that we are fairly certain that 2015 will be the warmest year on record, it is time to start looking at what are the impacts of that? What does that mean for people on the ground?"

The NOAA also said that the Pacific and Indian Oceans have experienced record warming.

Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution at the UK Met Office, said: "A strong El Nino is under way in the tropical Pacific and this, combined with the long-term global warming trend, means there is the potential to see some very warm months throughout this year - as the new figures for July appear to show. This is consistent with the Met Office's global temperature forecast which predicted that a record or near record year is very much on the cards for 2015."