Highlights. Earth's temperature has risen by 0.14° F (0.08° C) per decade since 1880, and the rate of warming over the past 40 years is more than twice that: 0.32° F (0.18° C) per decade since 1981. 2020 was the second-warmest year on record based on NOAA's temperature data, and land areas were record warm.

Has global warming increased in 2020?

Overall, global mean sea level continued to increase in 2020. Since the mid-1980s, Arctic surface air temperatures have warmed at least twice as fast as the global average.

Is global temperature rising?

Global average surface temperature has risen at an average rate of 0.17°F per decade since 1901 (see Figure 2), similar to the rate of warming within the contiguous 48 states. ... The North, the West, and Alaska have seen temperatures increase the most, while some parts of the Southeast have experienced little change.