Every year, professional scientists from all across the globe gather to research, share their findings and go through a lengthy and tedious process of figuring out how the year has been temperature-wise. These findings help us figure out the hottest year and give us a fair idea about the future of the Earth in terms of Climate Change.

Currently, the most talked about issue in this field is about 2020 being the second hottest year on record since the 1880s! 

While we may feel that comparing temperatures from different years and concluding about the year that ranks the hottest is easy and might follow a simple, specific process, there is much more to this research than we can fathom. 

Now, the question that arises is; why is it so important to have knowledge about the year that turned out to be the hottest? 

Clearly, temperatures play a major role and matter enough for scientists to measure and report about it every other year. The announcement of the average temperatures is a default annual event and is followed by a collection of data from around 4,600 weather stations around the Globe. Media coverage is a must, and organisations like NASA and The Met Office play a major role every year. While some organisations share their results, others participate for the sake of debate and putting forth views that are not yet popular. 

Since giving reports about a single year does not give a clear picture of what the future holds, a comparison is drawn between the top 3 years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2020 is officially the 2nd hottest year on record, after 2016 since the 1880s. In fact, 2020 turned out to be just two-hundredths of a degree cooler than 2016! 

After analysis, NOAA scientists found out that the average land and ocean surface temperature across the globe was 1.76 degrees F above average in 2020. Statistically, this means that the year 2020 was just 0.004 F of a degree cooler in comparison with 2016. To top it all off, 2020 was also the Earth`s 44th consecutive year with Global land and ocean temperatures way above the 20th century average. 

All the data that has been gathered from various centres and organisations shows that the coming years will without a doubt, be hotter and more problematic. 

It is time for all of us to ask ourselves; what are we doing about this alarming situation?

The governments, corporations, and individuals are deciding how to tackle the situation. As data suggests, there have already been more than 15 climate related disasters in the last 10 years and the damage they have caused has resulted in heavy damage to the economy of different countries. Hurricanes, wildfires, less ice and longer heat waves are some of the long lasting effects that the earth will face as a consequence of 2020 being the second hottest year.

It is no surprise that the condition of the earth is slowly deteriorating, and climate change seems to worsen by the year. Scientists say that the data is alarming and it is time that we move towards a more permanent solution to save the Earth. After 2020 being the hottest year on record, governments are in discussion to take measures and precautions that will turn out positive for the future of the earth. 

All we can do from our side is to stay updated, spread awareness, and do our part as citizens in saving the Earth where us, and our future generations are ultimately going to live in! 

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